Romania Proposes Monthly Gambling Spending Limits to Curb Addiction

New Legislation Aims to Cap Gambling Expenses

The measure, reported by Romanian site Profit.to, would apply to both online and land-based gambling, including sports betting, casinos, and slot machines.

If enacted, this regulation would mean that a person earning 5,000 RON ($1,084) in a given month could only wager up to 500 RON ($108.5) the following month. Similarly, an individual with a monthly income of 10,000 RON ($2,170) would face a 1,000 RON ($217) gambling cap.

The primary goal of the proposal is to curb problem gambling, prevent excessive losses, and mitigate the financial risks associated with compulsive gambling behavior.

Banks and Tax Authorities to Oversee Compliance

The proposed system would rely on financial institutions and Romania’s tax authority, ANAF, to monitor compliance. Banks would be responsible for tracking online gambling transactions, ensuring that players do not exceed their monthly limits. If violations occur, banks could face penalties of up to 1% of their turnover.

For land-based gambling, operators would be required to verify a player’s spending capacity through an ANAF-managed platform, tracking real-time expenditures. Any failure to comply with the restrictions would result in fines ranging from 200,000 RON ($43,416) to 500,000 RON ($108,540). Repeat offenses could lead to license revocation.

Revenue from fines would be allocated to programs focusing on gambling addiction prevention and financial education, managed by Romania’s National Gambling Office in cooperation with ANAF.

Romania’s Broader Gambling Regulatory Efforts

The proposed spending cap is the latest in a series of regulatory efforts aimed at tightening control over the Romanian gambling sector. In July 2022, the Ministry of Finance introduced a 40% tax on casino withdrawals.

More recently, an audit report from Romania’s Court of Accounts criticized the National Gambling Office for failing to properly oversee online gambling operations.