Romania lawmakers pass gambling venues ban in small towns and villages

Romania has announced a ban on gambling venues in small towns and villages with populations of less than 15,000 residents. Known as the "law of slot machines," the legislation was passed by deputies in the lower house of parliament. 

"It is the first law adopted in Parliament in 30 years against this mafia that has controlled the political world until now," said Alfred Simonis, the leader of the Social Democrats, as reported by Euro News. "Right now we are fighting an industry that has a total turnover of €10-12 billion."

Some industry figures complained that they were not consulted, and hope that the authorities would control the black market as they promised, according to local media reports. 

Despite a unanimous vote by legislators, there was some dissent within the chamber. Two opposition parties that support banning the "scourge" of gambling outright accuse the government of collusion with the gaming sector for not taking a stronger position.

Meanwhile, Ionut Mosteanu, the leader of the opposition USR, questioned how lawmakers had set the threshold. “They thought that slot machines only damage 15,000 people," he said, as per Euro News. "There was not even a debate to see how many townships qualify for this 15,000. Why not 16, 17, why not two million and you would ban them definitively?"

Gambling establishments have become prominent in Romania over the last few decades. The National Gaming Office, the state agency that oversees and approves the industry, has registered 12,000 sports betting, bingo, casino, and lottery rooms. The state collects taxes on gambling venue licenses, internet ticket sales, and the amount that betting businesses spend on advertising.

There is no recent data that reveals how many people are addicted to gambling. The last survey was conducted in 2016, and found that there could be around 100,000 problem gamblers across the country. Reports speculate that the number today could be much higher.

The above-cited publication cited research that was recently carried out by the non-profit Save the Children, which shows that one in seven children in Romania spends money on gambling, while one in 10 lives in families where one of the parents does.