Romanian National Office for Gambling Reports Major Crackdown on Black Market and New Treatment Funding

Romania's ONJN blacklists 300 sites and launches a 5 million euro treatment fund in a major regulatory overhaul targeting the gambling black market.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 27, 2026, 9:30 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from iGB

Aggressive Enforcement Against Unlicensed Digital Operators

Romania’s National Office for Gambling, the ONJN, significantly expanded its oversight authority between April 2025 and April 2026 through the implementation of Law number 141/2025. This legislation granted the regulator the power to issue direct orders for the removal of illegal gambling content and mandate monthly reports from class II operators regarding blocked access attempts. Over the reporting period, the agency blacklisted more than 300 unlicensed websites and filed 70 criminal complaints related to gross gaming revenue manipulation and tax discrepancies.

Inaugural Funding Stream for Addiction Treatment

For the first time in the agency's history, the ONJN allocated specific state resources toward responsible gambling initiatives through the Aware and Free program. Commanding a budget of 5 million euros, the initiative focuses on non reimbursable funding for NGO led protection projects and the development of treatment center infrastructure. This funding represents a strategic conversion of previously unallocated resources into tangible support for vulnerable populations, with full implementation scheduled to run from August through December 2026.

Modernization of Self Exclusion and Identity Verification

At the start of the current mandate, the ONJN addressed a backlog of over 30,000 unresolved self exclusion requests, growing the active system to cover 54,000 individuals. The regulator has drafted a new Emergency Ordinance intended to unify self exclusion procedures for both land based and online sectors. If approved by the Ministry of Finance, the framework will enforce mandatory ID verification at all venues and introduce strict penalties, including fines of up to 100,000 lei for operators who fail to comply with cooling off periods.