Romania consults on gambling tax reforms
The government has proposed a new framework for regulatory charges and tax on gambling winnings.
Romania.- The new coalition government has published draft plans to revise the framework for gambling tax in Romania. Following the appointment of Ilie Bolojan as prime minister, the Pro-European Alliance of National Liberal Party (PNL), Social Democratic Party (PSD) and Save Romania Union (USR) intends to introduce a progressive tax rate on player winnings.
The Draft Law on Fiscal-Budgetary Measures is now undergoing public consultation. It also includes broader proposals to raise VAT and health contributions. The Ministry of Finance said it meets EU deficit reduction criteria.
Finance minister Alexandru Nazare has described the initiative as urgent to “restore fairness and reduce illegal market activity” following last year’s ban on gambling in small towns with populations of under 15,000. The aim is to generate an extra €1bn a year under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).
The new model will see winnings of up to 10,000 lei (€1,970) taxed at 10 per cent, while winnings of 10,001–66,750 lei will be taxed at 1,000 lei plus 20 per cent of the amount above 10,000 lei, and any higher winnings will be charged 12,350 lei plus 40 per cent of the amount that surpasses 66,750. There will be a deductible threshold for high-yield games such as slots, poker and lottery to prevent pyramiding.
Rise in licence fees
Licence fees are to rise across the industry. The online gambling permit fee will rise from 21 to 27 per cent, while retail betting fees will rise from 21 to 23 per cent. Slot machines fees will rise from €5,300 to €5,800 per machine , and the sumptuary tax on slots will double from €500 to €1,000. The tax on lottery revenue is 6.5 per cent.
The government says the modifications are intended to spread the tax burden more evenly across all stakeholders, but there will be criticism that increased regulatory costs are hardly likely to reduce the use of unlicensed platforms.
Meanwhile, the USR continues to call for reforms in the gambling sector, including the replacement of the Romanian gambling regulator, the ONJN. It also wants to limit gambling spending to 10 per cent of a player’s income, which would be monitored by the national tax authority ANAF. Another bill proposes a new gambling self-exclusion system in Romania.
The proposals follow controversy around the role of the Romanian gambling regulator after a Court of Accounts (CCR) audit of the ONJN found serious irregularities in its supervision of gambling licences, including its collection of authorisation fees and gambling tax. The regulator was found to have failed to enforce a legal requirement to gain remote access to online gambling licensees’ systems, which prevented it from being able to verify transaction data.
Last month, the National Audiovisual Council (CNA) voted to prohibit the use of celebrities in gambling advertisements across television, radio, and online platforms. The decision, adopted during a public meeting yesterday (June 26) will see the introduction of a new restriction within the updated Audiovisual Regulatory Code, which serves as the CNA’s secondary legislative framework.
According to the Romanian media news site Pagina de Media, the revised Article 110, paragraph 7 states that advertising content that features individuals with public, cultural, scientific, or sporting status, or those whose online influence could potentially encourage gambling, is now banned. This rule is set to take effect 90 days after the updated code is implemented.
