The Timişoara Local Council has approved a decision that will prevent gambling halls from receiving new authorizations in the city. The measure means existing venues can continue operating only until their licenses issued by national authorities expire, after which they will gradually close.

Mayor Dominic Fritz announced the decision following Tuesday’s council meeting, stating that only National Lottery activities will continue to be authorized in Timişoara.

“Starting today, gambling can no longer be authorized in the city. Only the National Lottery’s lotto activities will operate in Timişoara. The current gaming halls that are still open in the city will operate until the licenses received from Bucharest expire, next year at the latest. Until then, they will close one by one. The fact that today we were able to decide what happens to the gaming halls in Timişoara is the merit of my USR parliamentary colleagues. They fought for years for this decision to be up to the local authorities. The Local Council made the decision unanimously,” Fritz said.

The mayor added that the decision also reflects a responsibility toward residents and communities, highlighting the choice between allowing gambling venues to continue or directing resources toward education and public services.

In spring, Timişoara had 173 locations authorized by the National Gambling Office for gambling activities.

Existing Venues Will Remain Until Licenses Expire

The council’s decision does not immediately shut down all gambling halls. Operators that already hold valid licenses can remain active until those approvals expire, with the final closures expected no later than 2027.

The change follows years of discussions over whether local administrations should have greater authority over gambling locations. The city’s leadership credited parliamentary efforts that helped transfer more decision-making power to municipalities.

Alfred Simonis, president of the Timiş County Council, previously announced financial incentives for local administrations that remove gambling halls. According to Simonis, municipalities that close such venues will receive funding for education-related projects.

“Mayors who close gambling halls, gambling dens, as we know them, will receive money for schools. After the law that removed gambling from localities with under 15,000 inhabitants, the time has come for other communes and cities to eliminate them. (…). The money they will receive from the Timiş County Council will be allocated for the construction of new schools or kindergartens or for the modernization of existing ones,” Simonis explained, as reported by Stirile Pro TV.

The funding plan is intended to support the construction of new educational facilities or improvements to existing ones.

Local Restrictions Expand Across Romania

Timişoara’s decision follows previous measures aimed at limiting gambling halls in smaller communities. Earlier legislation removed gambling activities from localities with fewer than 15,000 inhabitants, and local authorities in larger cities have continued discussions about additional restrictions.

The Timişoara council’s unanimous vote gives the municipality control over future gambling authorizations within the city. Existing operators will remain subject to their current national licenses, but no new gambling halls will be approved.

The decision comes as Romanian cities continue examining the role of gambling venues and their impact on local communities. Authorities have increasingly focused on regulating where such businesses can operate and redirecting attention toward alternative uses for commercial spaces.