Key Takeaways
- • Romania's gambling regulator (ONJN) blocked 300+ unlicensed gambling websites, revoked 60 operator licenses, and imposed €2.2 million in fines during its 2025-2026 enforcement mandate, conducting approximately 11,000 control actions with a 98% compliance rate on illegal content removal orders.
- • The regulator launched the "Conștient și Liber" (Conscious and Free) fund, a €5 million state-funded gambling addiction treatment program—Romania's first public investment in harm prevention, covering counseling, prevention services, and enforcement measures.
- • A Romanian court rejected Polymarket's suspension request on April 1, 2026, upholding the ONJN's decision to keep the prediction market platform on the national blacklist for operating unlicensed gambling activities without regulatory approval.
- • ONJN implemented a cloud-native public gaming device registry (launched October 2025) linking slot machines and video lottery terminals to unique QR codes with mandatory geolocation tracking, strengthening black market enforcement infrastructure.
- • Regulator filed 70 criminal complaints and issued 60+ removal orders for illegal online gambling content, signaling an escalated enforcement posture against unauthorized operators as part of structural market reforms.
Summary
Romania's gambling regulator, the Oficiul Național pentru Jocuri de Noroc (ONJN), published its annual activity report on April 24, 2026, documenting an aggressive enforcement campaign and landmark public health initiative under leadership of President Vlad-Cristian Soare. The one-year mandate demonstrates a strategic pivot toward black market suppression and regulatory modernization.
Enforcement metrics reveal substantial regulatory activity. ONJN inspectors conducted approximately 11,000 control actions, resulting in the revocation of 60 operator licenses and the issuance of fines totaling 10 million lei (approximately $2.2 million). The regulator filed 70 criminal complaints and issued more than 60 orders for the removal of illegal online gambling content, achieving a 98% compliance rate. Most significantly, ONJN added 300+ unlicensed websites to its national blocking list, reflecting intensified efforts to restrict access to unregulated gambling platforms.
In a landmark development, Romania allocated €5 million to establish the "Conștient și Liber" fund, marking the country's first state-funded gambling addiction treatment program. The initiative encompasses prevention, counseling, and enforcement measures targeting gambling-related harms—a structural shift toward harm reduction within the broader regulatory framework.
The regulatory enforcement agenda received judicial reinforcement when a Romanian court rejected Polymarket's suspension request on April 1, 2026, upheld the ONJN's blacklist decision. Polymarket was banned for conducting gambling activities without a license in Romania, and the court's decision keeps the prediction market platform on the national blacklist despite legal challenges.
Underpinning the enforcement push is a technological infrastructure upgrade: ONJN launched a cloud-native public register of gaming devices in October 2025, linking each registered slot machine and video lottery terminal to a unique QR code with mandatory geolocation tracking. This system strengthens the regulator's capacity to monitor licensed operators and detect unlicensed activity. Soare noted in the accompanying statement that regulatory progress encountered "blockages, opposition and attempts to slow down essential projects, both from inside and outside," signaling continued organizational resistance to reform initiatives.
Enforcement metrics reveal substantial regulatory activity. ONJN inspectors conducted approximately 11,000 control actions, resulting in the revocation of 60 operator licenses and the issuance of fines totaling 10 million lei (approximately $2.2 million). The regulator filed 70 criminal complaints and issued more than 60 orders for the removal of illegal online gambling content, achieving a 98% compliance rate. Most significantly, ONJN added 300+ unlicensed websites to its national blocking list, reflecting intensified efforts to restrict access to unregulated gambling platforms.
In a landmark development, Romania allocated €5 million to establish the "Conștient și Liber" fund, marking the country's first state-funded gambling addiction treatment program. The initiative encompasses prevention, counseling, and enforcement measures targeting gambling-related harms—a structural shift toward harm reduction within the broader regulatory framework.
The regulatory enforcement agenda received judicial reinforcement when a Romanian court rejected Polymarket's suspension request on April 1, 2026, upheld the ONJN's blacklist decision. Polymarket was banned for conducting gambling activities without a license in Romania, and the court's decision keeps the prediction market platform on the national blacklist despite legal challenges.
Underpinning the enforcement push is a technological infrastructure upgrade: ONJN launched a cloud-native public register of gaming devices in October 2025, linking each registered slot machine and video lottery terminal to a unique QR code with mandatory geolocation tracking. This system strengthens the regulator's capacity to monitor licensed operators and detect unlicensed activity. Soare noted in the accompanying statement that regulatory progress encountered "blockages, opposition and attempts to slow down essential projects, both from inside and outside," signaling continued organizational resistance to reform initiatives.
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