Another Romanian city moves to ban slot machines
Representatives in Bacău have voted to prohibit gambling in physical venues.
Romania.- Another Romanian city has moved to outlaw slot machines. During a council meeting today (April 1), local representatives in Bacău voted to prohibit gambling activities in physical venues. Out of 22 councillors present, 19 supported the ban.
The decision specifies that no new gambling halls or slot machine venues will be permitted to operate within the city limits. For existing licensees, the prohibition will apply from the date of expiry of their current licences. Operators who continue to offer gambling after their licences could face fines of 4,000 to 5,000 lei (€750 to €980) per incident.
The measure was passed under new legislation that grants municipalities the authority to regulate gaming halls in Romania. The mayors of several cities have signalled that they will seek bans after Slatina last month became the first city to ban gambling halls and sports betting. They will need to convince local councillors.
In Bacău, mayor Lucian Daniel Stanciu-Viziteu hailed today’s vote as a “huge step” for the community. In a Facebook post, he wrote: “We succeeded! Gambling activity is prohibited in physical locations within the municipality of Bacău. This is a huge step for our community, which shows that we want a healthy future for Bacău. I thank the local councillors who acted responsibly today and agreed with my proposal to end the activity in physical locations in the city.”
He stressed that venues will close gradually as their authorisations expire, giving employees time to look for alternative work.
