Legislative Amendment Proposal – Gambling Sector – Self-Exclusion – Romania
The topic of self-exclusion in the Romanian gambling sector has been the subject of ongoing debate, regardless of the background or perspective from which the discussion originates, whether from the private or the public sphere.
This issue remains highly relevant and continues to pose challenges in practical application, as the current legislative framework requires adjustments. Nevertheless, as a legal practitioner in this niche field of gambling, I cannot overlook the concrete steps that are being taken towards improving this mechanism.
The purpose of this material is not to reiterate the legislative gaps or the difficulties faced by players and operators alike. Rather, it is to highlight the fact that there is a clear and firm intention to implement solutions from multiple angles: the player’s perspective, the operator’s perspective, and that of the regulatory authority.
Proposal published by ONJN
In this context, I would like to emphasize that a message of public interest was recently published on the website of the National Office for Gambling (ONJN), regarding a proposal to amend, by emergency ordinance, the legislative framework governing self-exclusion.
Accordingly, a draft proposal has been submitted by ONJN to the Ministry of Finance with the aim of amending the current legislation, the main measures proposed being the following:
- Establishing a single self-exclusion procedure, carried out through ONJN, binding on all gambling operators, both online and land-based;
- Defining clear self-exclusion periods, including the possibility of an indefinite period, as well as introducing a cool-off period during which self-exclusion cannot be revoked;
- Granting self-excluded players who were unlawfully allowed to gamble the right to recover the amounts deposited, from which any withdrawals made during that period will be deducted;
- Introducing a mandatory requirement for retail gambling venues to be equipped with identification systems and surveillance cameras. In the absence of functioning cameras, verification shall be carried out through the logs of the identification system, with fines ranging between RON 50,000 and RON 100,000;
- Establishing sanctions between RON 50,000 and RON 100,000 for failure to comply with self-exclusion obligations, with the possibility of license suspension in cases of serious or repeated breaches;
- Clarifying the terminology: self-exclusion shall be unique, carried out through ONJN, including by remote means, and shall be binding on all gambling operators, whereas restriction shall represent a relationship between the operator and the player and shall constitute an interruption of the commercial relationship;
- Requiring the display of self-exclusion information in a visible place on online gambling websites and the display of a QR code in physical locations linking to the ONJN website, where self-exclusion may be completed;
- Informing players about the difference between restriction and self-exclusion and guiding them towards the correct procedure, namely to the website where it can be carried out, especially where the real intention is self-exclusion.
We would like to clarify that the measures regarding self-exclusion are an excerpt taken from the website of the regulatory authority (ONJN), published as a press release by the authority on 30.01.2026.
Monitoring and next steps
Our team will continue to closely monitor the Transparency section of the Ministry of Finance’s website, as well as the communications of the gambling regulatory authority, in order to promptly inform our clients and partners of any relevant developments.
