Romania licensing delays threaten collapse in slot machine numbers

FEDBET says unresolved permit renewals could leave thousands of gaming machines unable to operate by January 2027.

Key takeaways

• FEDBET warns Romania’s authorised slot machine estate could fall from 43,306 machines in March to about 9,096 by January 1, 2027.
• The dispute stems from licensing reforms that require local authority approvals before ONJN can renew operating licences.
• According to FEDBET, fewer than 4 per cent of Romania’s administrative-territorial units had adopted the required measures by the deadline.
• The federation estimates that around 8,500 jobs have already been affected and that the economic impact could reach 320 million lei by year-end.
• FEDBET is calling for transitional measures that would allow compliant operators to continue trading until local councils complete the licensing process.

TL;DR: Romania’s licensed gambling industry is warning of a severe contraction in the retail market as delays in the renewal of permits and licences continue to disrupt operators. FEDBET argues that unless authorities introduce temporary solutions, thousands of slot machines and gambling venues could lose the ability to operate by the start of 2027 despite meeting

Romania.- Romania’s licensed gambling sector could face a dramatic contraction by the end of 2026 unless authorities resolve an ongoing licensing bottleneck. That’s according to the Federation of Romanian Gambling Organisers (FEDBET), which represents the sector.

The federation warned that delays linked to Emergency Government Ordinance No. 7/2026 are preventing operators from renewing permits for land-based slot machines, creating uncertainty across the country’s retail market. FEDBET estimates that the number of authorised slot machines could fall from 43,306 in March to around 9,000 by the start of 2027.

According to the organisation, 15,579 machines remained licensed on November 1, 2026. However, if local authorities do not take the required administrative steps, that figure is expected to drop to 9,096 by January 1, 2027, representing a decline of 42 per cent in just two months.

The dispute centres on reforms that granted local authorities powers of slots licensing. FEDBET argues that city halls cannot issue the necessary local permits without formal council decisions, while Romania’s National Office for Gambling (ONJN) cannot renew operating licences until those approvals are in place.

The federation said fewer than 4 per cent of Romania’s roughly 3,100 administrative-territorial units had adopted the required measures by the April deadline. It also claims that requests for clarification sent to local authorities have largely gone unanswered.

FEDBET is urging the government and Parliament to introduce temporary provisions that would allow operators meeting all existing legal requirements to continue trading until local councils complete their decisions.

Several local authorities have used their new powers to explicitly ban new slots venues. Timișoara in the west of the country is one of the latest and highest profile examples, while Bucharest’s Zone Six has applied restrictions and Iași became the first county in which every municipality had voted to ban gambling venues. Super Technologies has said it will change its gambling venues into community centres in areas affected by bans.

While the councils confirming bans remain in a minority, there have been suggestions that the issue has had a cooling effect on new slot machine approvals as operators wait to see how each locality will react. Those municipalities that opt to continue to license gaming venues have the power to impose their own annual authorisation fees. The central government had already banned gambling venues in small towns with populations of under 15,000 under an order issued back in 2024.

FEDBET has warned that the combination of these factors could spark a rise in unregulated gambling as well as economic consequences for businesses. It estimates that approximately 8,500 jobs have already been affected and believes the financial impact could reach around RON 320m (€59.8m) by the end of the year.

“Closing an authorised location does not mean that people stop playing. A large part of them end up on unlicensed sites, where no one checks age, there are no deposit limits or protective measures, and the state does not collect anything,” said FEDBET president Alexandru Domșa.

“The first thing that is lost in a lockdown is the protection of players. In other words, the game does not disappear, control, on the other hand, does.”

The Ministry of Finance recently projected a RON 750m shortfall in gambling tax revenues in its 2026 budget amendment plans. FEDBET argues that this figure primarily reflects losses recorded during the first part of the year, before large numbers of licences began expiring.

“The Ministry of Finance’s figure only shows what was lost before the authorisations began to expire en masse,” Domșa said. “The real cost will be seen in the coming months and does not stop at the taxes specific to this field: each job eliminated means contributions and taxes that the state no longer collects.”

FAQs

Why does FEDBET believe Romania’s slot machine numbers could fall sharply?

The federation says licensing renewals are being delayed because local authority approvals required under Emergency Government Ordinance No. 7/2026 have not been completed in many municipalities.

How many slot machines could remain licensed by January 2027?

According to FEDBET, the number could fall to approximately 9,096 by January 1, 2027, from 15,579 on November 1, 2026.

What solution is the industry proposing?

FEDBET wants temporary transitional rules that would allow operators already meeting legal requirements to continue operating while local authorities complete the necessary administrative procedures.

How many jobs could be affected?

The federation estimates that around 8,500 jobs have already been impacted by the licensing uncertainty and warns further losses are possible if the situation continues.

How has Romania’s slot machine market changed in recent years?

The number of slot machines has already fallen significantly following gambling reforms, declining from around 80,000 machines to approximately 36,000 over the past two years.

By Focus Gaming News Editorial Team