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Romania could lose around 80% of its authorized slot machines by the start of 2027 if local authorities do not resolve a licensing impasse created by Emergency Government Ordinance No. 7/2026, according to industry group FEDBET.
The ordinance, introduced in February, gave local authorities a greater role in approving land-based gambling operations. FEDBET says the system has stalled because most local councils have not adopted the decisions needed for city halls to issue permits and for the National Office for Gambling to renew authorizations.
The number of slot machines with valid authorization fell from 43,306 in March to around 15,500 by November 1. FEDBET expects that figure to fall to 9,096 by January 1, 2027 if no further local decisions are adopted.
Local Decisions Hold Up Renewals
FEDBET said fewer than 4% of Romania’s roughly 3,100 administrative-territorial units had completed the required process after the 60-day deadline expired in April.
A spokesperson for the federation said:
“Based on the information available to FEDBET and the feedback from our members, we believe that the entire decrease between March and November is attributable to the regulatory uncertainty and the failure of local authorities to adopt the decisions required under OUG No. 7/2026.
“While we cannot provide a 100% verified, machine-by-machine assessment of the reasons behind each withdrawal, FEDBET represents approximately 90% of the Romanian gambling market, and we are not aware of cases among our members where machines were withdrawn for other commercial or regulatory reasons.”
The federation is asking the Government and Parliament to introduce temporary rules allowing compliant operators to continue trading until local councils complete their decisions.
FEDBET Warns of Unlicensed Market Growth
FEDBET argues that the decline in licensed venues could redirect some gambling activity toward unregulated operators.
President Alexandru Domșa said in FEDBET’s press release:
“Closing an authorized 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. 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.”
Licensed venues must verify identities and limit access to adults, while operators are subject to national regulatory requirements.
FEDBET also cited European figures claiming that 72% of the EU online gambling market operates through black-market channels, with turnover approaching €92 billion and member states losing around €22 billion in 2025.
Jobs and Public Revenue Also Affected
The federation estimates that about 8,500 jobs have already been affected by the licensing delays.
It also pointed to a 750 million lei shortfall in gambling tax revenue included in Romania’s 2026 budget amendment project.
FEDBET said that figure mainly reflects gambling-specific taxes and does not include other losses such as income tax, social contributions, administrative fees or operators’ profit taxes.
The organization also argues that the full financial impact has yet to appear because many permits started expiring later in the year. It estimates losses could reach about €320 million by year-end.
Romania’s land-based gambling market had already been shrinking before the latest dispute. In 2024, the government banned slot halls in towns with fewer than 15,000 residents and introduced tighter zoning and advertising rules.
Several local authorities have since adopted stricter measures. Iași moved to prohibit slot-machine venues, with similar action reported in Bacău, Sibiu, Brăila, Slatina and Zalău. Timișoara has also stopped authorizing new gambling halls, with existing sites expected to close when current licences expire.
FEDBET now wants transitional measures that would allow eligible operators to remain open while local councils complete the approval process required under OUG 7/2026.
