Romanian Gambling Regulator Under Fire for Audit Failures

Audit Exposes Major Failings at ONJN

The Romanian Court of Accounts (CCR) recently completed an audit of the national gambling regulator (ONJN), uncovering severe inadequacies in its oversight of the gambling market. The report highlighted alarming failures in license audits, supervision of gambling taxes, and authorization fee collections.

One critical lapse was ONJN’s failure to enforce mandatory remote access to operators’ IT systems, a requirement under Romanian law. Without this access, regulators had no effective means of verifying the accuracy of financial data reported by online gambling licensees.

According to the audit findings, ONJN never independently verified financial data provided by gambling operators. This lack of verification extended to critical areas like gambling license fees and the enforcement of penalties for non-compliance.

The regulator was also criticized for not ensuring that operators provided mandatory remote access to their gambling systems, a legal requirement designed to guarantee transparency and fairness in online gaming activities.

Parliament Demands Accountability

Romanian MP Diana Stoica described the audit results as “scandalous,” demanding urgent accountability from the ONJN. Stoica insisted that the regulator must promptly appear before the parliamentary IT Committee to provide clear answers and commit to immediate corrective actions.

In her words, the situation at ONJN is “scandalous,” necessitating rapid and transparent measures to restore trust in gambling oversight.

Stoica’s concerns were echoed by Radu Stoica, chair of the Romanian parliament’s IT Committee. He criticized ONJN’s passive stance, describing it as a sign of either “gross incompetence or systemic corruption.” Stoica emphasized that parliament expects clear explanations and explicit commitments to prevent future breaches.

Leadership Instability Raises Questions

Adding to ONJN’s problems is the controversial leadership history. Last year, Gheorghe, the current president, replaced a highly criticized appointment that was quickly reversed. Previous leadership instability has raised broader concerns about the regulator’s effectiveness and credibility.

This latest crisis arrives as Romania is already making significant regulatory adjustments, including Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu’s recent move to ban gambling establishments in smaller rural towns. Now, the troubling findings at ONJN could accelerate calls for deeper structural reforms within Romania’s gambling regulatory framework.