Vlad Soare, President of the National Office for Gambling: “We want to build together a modern, regulated, and responsible gambling industry that meets European standards”

Romania can be a European Example of Balance Between Player Protection and the Functioning of a Fair Market

We are pleased to offer you an extensive interview with the president of the National Office for Gambling (ONJN), Mr. Vlad Soare, in which we discussed the achievements recorded so far in the few months of his mandate, such as: transforming the way the institution operates, consolidating digitization and completing major IT systems, increasing the compliance of licensed operators, combating the online and offline black market, implementing a real self-exclusion mechanism, creating the Public Register of Gaming Devices, unblocking for the first time the funds allocated to social responsibility programs or digitizing the institution so that it becomes one that communicates and operates without papers.

You have been President of the National Office for Gambling (ONJN) for several months now, how did you find things at the institution, what have you managed to achieve so far, and what are your plans for the coming period?

When I took over the leadership of the ONJN, I found an institution with an essential role in the economy, but with serious operational problems and without the legislative and IT tools necessary to effectively control such an important area, one of the few areas that remained a state monopoly. Control activity was limited, internal processes were still paper-based, and digital tools were almost completely lacking.

In just six months, we managed to transform the way the institution works. We increased the efficiency of controls, started a comprehensive digitization process, created the Public Register of Gaming Devices – a project that brings total transparency to the land-based sector – and the self-exclusion procedure, which was completely blocked, is now functional and secure. Of course, there are still shortcomings, but they are due to the way the procedure is regulated, which is not within the ONJN’s remit, however, through the actions taken at institutional level, I am confident that this will also be resolved in the near future.

The results speak for themselves:

• 5,690 inspections carried out nationwide;
• 197 gaming devices confiscated, representing an increase of over 110% compared to 2024;
• 3 online gambling platforms suspended for violating the law;
• Over 125 websites included on the ONJN blacklist;
• 40 operating licenses revoked following inspections;
• First orders to remove illegal content (unauthorized raffles, gambling promoted on social media platforms);
• WhatsApp hotline operational for reporting black market activities.
• 44 criminal complaints (out of a total of 53)
• about RON 8,000,000 in fines out of a total of RON 9,315,000
• nighttime inspections carried out in collaboration with the Romanian Police

In the short term, my priority is to consolidate digitization and complete major IT systems

• Improvement of the self-exclusion IT system (non-existent at the time of taking office)
• Geolocation system for gaming devices; (obligation introduced in my mandate by L141/2025)
• The system for monitoring the black market, monitoring, and analyzing data reported by licensed Class I and II gambling operators
• Document management and electronic archiving system, which also includes a private virtual space for operators so that document submission, licensing, and authorization can be done digitally – completely eliminating paper flows;
• New ONJN portal with integrated chatbot, online petition system, and website

We have been monitoring the institution’s activity and have been impressed by the large number of inspections on betting shops and gambling operators, we have even noticed the involvement of the Police in joint actions with ONJN to combat the black market and to check the degree of compliance of operators with the self-exclusion regime. Are you satisfied with the results? What are the consequences of these inspections?

It is a natural step. ONJN must become a trusted institution for everyone. I am glad to see changes, but we are still far from what we need to become, in my view. Nevertheless, I appreciate the efforts made by the control teams, especially since these results were achieved despite a decrease in the number of inspectors. At the same time, I would like to express my sincere thanks to the Romanian Police, with whom we have carried out joint actions to combat the black market and verify the degree of compliance of operators. We have noticed a reaction in the market through the increased compliance of licensed operators. Through our actions, we have sent a clear message: ONJN does not tolerate violations and treats all operators equally, regardless of size.

In addition to combating the black market and other illegalities in the landbased market, the online market is also feeling the full force of this scourge. What measures have you taken to limit players’ access to such sites and to deactivate these sites, which today close on one server and reappear on another server under a different name, and so on?

In recent months, we have fundamentally changed the way ONJN combats the online black market. Whereas until 2025 the institution acted on a case-by-case basis, today we are talking about a systemic process based on new legislative and technological tools.

By Law No. 141/2025, at the proposal of ONJN, new legislative provisions were introduced, granting us extended powers and making us the authority responsible for enforcing the DSA Regulation. This allows us to issue enforceable orders to remove illegal content promoted through platforms such as Google, Meta, or TikTok. In practice, for the first time, ONJN can act not only against websites offering illegal gambling, but also against those providing unlicensed content.

Over the past five years, ONJN has proposed blacklisting 393 internet domains that offered unlicensed gambling, and in 2025 – by October – we added 125 new domains, which is more than in any previous year.

It is important to note that this is a dynamic phenomenon: illegal platforms have significant financial and technological resources, constantly migrate to subdomains or so-called “mirror sites,” and users can use VPNs to bypass restrictions. Therefore, the blocking process must be viewed as permanent and repetitive one, not as a one-time action.

To combat this reality, we have introduced a structural change: through recent legislative changes, Class II operators—i.e., software providers and payment processors—are now required to detect, block, and report to ONJN any attempt from Romania to access platforms not licensed in Romania.

In addition, we have established a mechanism for inter-institutional cooperation: ONJN actively collaborates with the Romanian Police, DIICOT, NAFA, ANCOM, ONPCSB, and NBR.

In addition to these actions, we have created a WhatsApp hotline where players can report illegal sites or unauthorized locations, and we have developed the Public Register of Gaming Facilities, a digital tool that provides complete transparency and helps us track gaming facilities.

For the first time, Romania has a coherent strategy and legislative tools that allow for a real fight against the black market, not just administrative reactions. The goal is for every illegal platform identified to be shut down, every attempt to access it to be blocked, and every provider involved to be held accountable.

Self-exclusion is the top priority of your mandate as ONJN president. What is the current status of the project to establish a Single Register of self-excluded people to be managed by ONJN? What are your expectations from the market once this register of self-excluded players becomes operational?

When I took office, the self-exclusion mechanism was practically non-existent: over 30,000 unprocessed requests, records in Excel, and a total lack of protection for vulnerable individuals. In just a few months, we implemented a functional and secure solution in three stages: 1) The emergency solution – a single encrypted database with real-time access for operators; 2) Web application – currently in the launch phase, in November 2025; 3) Complete IT system – in the public procurement process, with KYC technologies and direct digital interaction. We regulated the procedure through Order 79/2025, eliminated abusive “hot” opt-out practices in casino floors, and proposed legislative changes to create a single, unified system applicable to both retail and online gambling. Today, Romania has a real self-exclusion mechanism, and once the final version is implemented, ONJN will become a European model of social responsibility.

The Public Register of Gaming Devices will soon become a reality. What do you intend to achieve with this tool, which will give you a better understanding of the landbased market, real-time figures on the number of devices, their geographical location in the country, and lots of other important information?

The Public Register of Gaming Devices is one of the most important achievements of my mandate. It is a complete digital system with an interactive map, QR codes, and geolocation, which will allow ONJN to identify all slot machines in Romania in real time. For the first time, we will know exactly how many gaming devices there are, where they are located, and whether they are operating legally. The public and operators will have access to this information, which means total transparency and the elimination of suspicions about market activities.

The Public register of gaming devices is created directly in the government cloud and accessible at registru.onjn.gov.ro.

The registry is a cloud-native application that provides the public with an interactive map showing the locations of authorized gaming devices or those in storage, allows filtering by county, locality, or operator, and displays:

• the machine’s serial number,
• the company and brand that owns it,
• the location address,
• the license,
• the authorization period
• status – whether the machine is in operation or out of service and generates a unique QR code for each gaming machine, through which information related to the license, authorization, location, and status of the machine can be verified.
• Clicking on the machine’s serial number takes you to the map area, where details about the respective gaming machine are displayed. These details will be displayed by scanning the QR code on the device, and in the event of any non-compliance, they can be reported to ONJN directly from the application.
• The register also includes an admin area for gambling organizers, so that they can update their data in the register, the movements of gaming devices and locations, as well as a superadmin area for ONJN, which will validate each change to ensure compliance with the authorization decisions issued. In the event of non-compliance, this is reported directly in the application between ONJN and the gambling organizer.

This registry is the first cloud-native application in the history of the Government Private Cloud, as confirmed by the Romanian Digitalization Authority. By the end of the year, we will develop a second application, and it is very likely that ONJN will own the only cloud-native applications in the Government Private Cloud.

The upcoming legislative amendment, which will give local authorities very important, even decisive, powers in the process of approving a gaming hall or betting agency license, is causing concern in the gambling industry. What are the chances that this bill will become applicable in the near future, what are the consequences for operators, and is there a chance of a transition period longer than 12 months for the market to comply?

ONJN supports any measure that contributes to balanced regulation but points out that the licensing process must remain uniform and predictable. It is important that local decisions are made on the basis of clear and uniform criteria in order to avoid discrimination and administrative bottlenecks. For this reason, we support the introduction of a transition period of at least 12 months to allow operators to gradually comply with the new rules.

What are your plans for the Responsible Gaming programs for which the Romanian State has collected several million euros to finance these programs, and which should contribute to better educating those who exceed the limits of entertainment and approach the limits of pathological gambling?

For the first time, I have unlocked the funds earmarked for social responsibility programs, which have remained unused for years. In June 2025, we organized a public consultation in Parliament, where the directions for action were established. ONJN will finance these programs through non-reimbursable grants, in accordance with Law 350/2005, for NGOs and public authorities. We have developed the methodology and applicant’s guide, which will be published in decisional transparency, so that the first projects can be implemented in 2026. The schedule has been set, in December and January, projects will be submitted for non-reimbursable funding, in February-March the selection will be made, and in April we will have the first funded programs.

• We will finance RON 19,316,616 for prevention, awareness, education, and protection programs for minors, with a maximum limit of 508,332 RON/project
• We will finance RON 6,099,984 lei for gambling addiction treatment infrastructure, with a maximum limit of 1,524,996 RON/project

At the same time, we are running the first national media campaigns, starting in 2026, and we are launching the public procurement procedure for rapid intervention and 24/7 assistance line (TelVerde) for people who are struggling with gambling addiction and are at risk.

The goal is twofold: to support vulnerable people and to educate the public about responsible gaming.

When will ONJN become a paperless institution, with less and less paper and more digitization within the institution?

The digitization process is in full swing. All internal flows are being migrated to Authority for the Digitalization of Romania’s infrastructure, and authorization, licensing, and monitoring procedures will be fully computerized. We are implementing electronic archiving and internal digital signatures, with the ultimate goal of having ONJN operate completely paperless within a maximum of 18 months. My goal is for ONJN to become a modern, fast, and secure institution that communicates digitally with both operators and citizens.

One of the challenges of your mandate will certainly be to increase the number of organization licenses and operating authorizations granted by ONJN and, consequently, to increase the revenue and collections from the specific taxes and duties that the Romanian State obtains from gambling operators. What concrete measures do you intend to take to obtain more money for the state’s accounts, but also for the accounts of the institution you lead, taking into account the budgetary needs of the consolidated state budget, but also the ONJN’s own needs?

I believe that the Romanian state must decide very clearly what it wants from this industry: social measures or an expanded tax base. Personally, I believe that a balance between the two is needed. A healthy market is one that operates within the limits of the law, contributes fairly to the budget, and at the same time has effective mechanisms to protect players.

If the focus is exclusively on restrictive measures, the result is predictable: a significant part of the activity will move into the black market, and the state will lose control and the associated revenues. On the other hand, smart regulation based on digitization, transparency, and accountability can provide fiscal stability, real social protection, and a predictable operating environment for operators.

That is why my goal is to ensure increased compliance. Through extensive controls, complete digitization of processes, and elimination of the black market, we will bring extra money to the state budget without artificially expanding the market.

Tools such as the Public Register of Gaming Devices, the geolocation of devices, and the monitoring of gambling through a system using AI will allow ONJN to verify exactly where the activity takes place and whether taxes are paid in full. At the same time, administrative efficiency will also ensure sustainable management of the Office’s own revenues.

The ultimate goal is one of balance: a state that protects but also collects; a regulated but not stifled market; a responsible industry that contributes consistently to economic development.

There has been much talk in political circles in recent years about “banning gambling in Romania.” During your term as FEDBET president, you have advocated for better regulation and self-regulation of the field and better monitoring of the gambling industry. How will you convince the political environment in our country that it is better (from all points of view) to regulate further than to ban gambling in our country? I am asking you this in an electoral context, when politicians are tempted to show the world that they are “taking action,” but we know from experience that this often has the opposite effect, such as the explosion of the black market.

Experience shows that a total ban does not solve the problem, but moves it into the black market, where there is neither protection nor taxation. What we need is intelligent regulation based on transparency, responsibility, and control. I have always supported the idea that a modern state should regulate, not ban. Through the digital tools we are implementing, through effective controls and through social responsibility programs, we are showing that Romania can be a European example of balance between player protection and the functioning of a fair market. Today, the public register of gaming devices, which can automatically issue QR codes, combined with the geolocation system, places Romania at the top of European regulations, a fact that has been confirmed by numerous positive news reports in the specialized press.

Finally, please send a message to the representatives of the gambling industry in Romania who are reading this interview and following with interest your work and that of the team you lead at the National Office for Gambling.

I would like to send them a clear message: partnership, transparency, and respect for the law. ONJN is not an adversary of the industry, but a guarantor of the proper functioning of the market. We want a collaboration based on professionalism and responsibility, so that together we can build a modern, regulated, and responsible industry that meets European standards.