Slot machine licences in Romania stalled as sector faces collapse risk

FEDBET announced that permits for land-based slot machines could not be renewed due to delays under Emergency Ordinance No. 7 of 2026. According to the federation, the number of authorised slot machines could fall from 43,306 in March to around 9,000 by the start of 2027.

According to information provided by FEDBET, 15,579 machines were licensed as of 1 November 2026. If local authorities do not take the necessary administrative steps, this number is expected to drop to 9,096 by 1 January 2027. This represents a decline of 42% in just two months.

The source of the problem lies in reforms that gave local authorities the power to license slot machines. According to the federation, municipalities cannot issue local permits without a council decision, and the National Gambling Office (ONJN) cannot renew operating licences until these approvals are completed. The federation said that by the April deadline, fewer than 4% of Romania's roughly 3,100 administrative units had taken the required measures. It also notes that requests for clarification sent to local authorities have largely gone unanswered.

Some local authorities have used their new powers to explicitly ban slot halls. Timișoara in the west is one of the most recent and most prominent examples of these decisions. District 6 of Bucharest imposed restrictions, while in Iași County, every municipality voted for a hall ban. Super Technologies announced that it will convert its halls in the areas where bans have been imposed into community centres.

FEDBET warns that these developments could increase unregulated gambling and have economic consequences for operators. The federation estimates that around 8,500 jobs have already been affected, and that the financial impact could reach RON 320 million (EUR 59.8 million) by the end of the year.