Romania’s slot-machine offering contracts amid new local rules
The number of gaming machines in Romania has reportedly fallen dramatically – and so have contributions to public finances.
Romania.- The gaming sector has reportedly already seen a significant reduction in slot machine authorisations following the introduction of measures that gave local authorities new powers to regulate gaming halls in Romania. National Emergency Ordinance 7/2026, adopted in February, and it already seems to be having a cooling effect on the market.
According to the Romanian business news site Profit.ro, 2,337 slot-machine stations were authorised between February and May 2026, compared with 18,981 during the same period a year earlier. In 2025, Romania had 45,659 authorised gaming devices. That number has reportedly now fallen to 29,014, representing roughly 64 per cent of last year’s total.
The reduction in the number of slot machines in Romania is reported to already be hitting public finances. Gambling operators paid RON 485m (€92.5m) in authorisation fees between February and May 2025, but just RON 300m in the same period of 2026.
A cooling effect on the gaming machine market in Romania
The sharp decline appears to be a consequence of the ongoing public debate rather than of direct restrictions as only a limited number of municipalities have exercised their new powers to ban gaming halls. The new legislation grants Romania’s local councils the power to make decisions on the licensing of land-based slots venues, but take-up has reportedly been slow, with just 90 of around 3,100 administrative-territorial units adopting decisions on gambling so far, despite the original deadline having passed. Of those that have taken decisions, 35 banned gambling halls outright, while 55 permitted it, according to Profit.ro.
Last month, it emerged that the county of Iași had become the first to entirely ban gaming halls, with all 98 local councils voting not to grant new licences. The last land-based gaming licences in Iași are expected to lapse by the end of February 2027.
Emergency Ordinance 7/2026 requires operators in areas where gambling remains permitted to secure annual authorisation from the local council in addition to their national licence. The move covers all land-based gambling except traditional lottery games run by the Romanian Lottery and licensed sports betting.
The specific details of each council’s policy vary. Generally, the restrictions will be phased in, with existing venues allowed to continue operating until their current licences expire. However, it’s been reported that some venues could face immediate closure in some localities.
