Super Technologies to turn Romanian gambling venues into community centres in areas affected by bans
The operator has pledged to safeguard jobs as more Romanian municipalities ban gambling venues.
Romania.- Super Technologies, formerly Superbet Group, has declared its intention to safeguard its workforce and assets amid the flurry of municipal bans on land-based gambling venues in Romania. The operator has said that it intends to retain staff and repurpose venues affected by the bans rather than shut them down and make employees redundant.
It said that its agencies in affected municipalities will be converted into “Home of Superliga” community centres, taking advantage of its sponsorship of Romania’s main football league. The spaces will allow supporters to gather and watch Romanian Superliga matches and other competitions, with staff providing assistance but without any betting activity.
Romania’s gambling venue bans
Several municipal councils in Romania have voted to prohibit the granting of new land-based gaming licences since the central government devolved licensing authority under Emergency Ordinance OUG 7/2026 in February. Signed by Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, the legislation shifted licensing powers from Romania’s national gambling regulator, the ONJN, to local councils.
Timișoara in the west of the country has become one of the latest and highest profile councils to implement a ban. Bucharest’s Zone Six has applied restrictions, while Iași has become the first county in which every municipality has voted to ban gambling venues.
Existing venues can continue operating only until their current ONJN-issued licences lapse, which will see venues gradually lose their licences one-by-one over the coming months. Lottery outlets are still permitted.
While the councils confirming bans remain in a minority, there have been suggestions that the issue has had a cooling effect on new slot machine approvals as operators wait to see how each locality will react. Those municipalities that opt to continue to licence gaming venues have the power to impose their own annual authorisation fees. The central government had already banned gambling venues in small towns with populations of under 15,000 under an order issued back in 2024.
Super Technologies’ evolution
Superbet was founded in Bucharest by Sacha Dragic in 2008. Rebranded as Super Technologies in December, it’s expanding internationally in Belgium, Brazil, Greece and Poland, supported by last year’s €1.3bn financing agreement led by Blackstone and HPS Investment Partners. However, its home market remains central to its operation. It runs more than 1,000 agencies in Romania and reported over 2,600 employees in 2024.
The operator said it has opened dialogue with central government and local authorities to seek solutions that protect communities and employment. Super Technologies noted that the new restrictions have “not been applied uniformly”, leading to variations among the different municipalities. It said it would respect the legal framework but is considering options to challenge how it has been applied. It expressed regret that employees have been left to absorb the consequences of the changes.
Andrei Popa, General Manager of Super Romania, commented: “An administrative decision can change what we are allowed to do in a space, but it cannot cancel the things that unite us. As the main partner of the Superliga, we have a responsibility towards Romanian football and towards the people who live for it.
“Our agencies already say ‘This is the Superliga’, and we will make sure this remains true, transforming these spaces into places where the community gathers around the sport. For us, this means being part of a community: staying there even when it is harder.”
Meanwhile, there’s been an abrupt change at the helm of the ONJN. Valentin-Ioan Tomescu has been named as the new president of the Romanian gambling regulator, replacing Vlad-Cristian Soare, who has been removed from his position just over a year after taking charge.
