Romania Might only Allow Gambling Machines in Casinos

Politicians believe that the addictive machines should only be allowed in casinos.

Romanian lawmakers are considering banning gambling machines from bars, restaurants, cinemas and lottery retailers. Politicians have forwarded a draft bill to the Parliament, asking the state legislator to change current Romanian gambling laws in order to reduce the negative impact of betting terminals.

Local gambling news have reported several stories about people spending all their money on betting machines located in bars. According to politicians, they are addictive and should only be allowed in casinos, whereas the country’s legislation imposes a EUR 4.5 casino entry fee. Whether gamblers pay it or not, is a whole other matter.

New fees on the way?

The bill was initiated by Hungarian politician Attila Korodi, who claims that even children have fallen prey to the machines. The democratic representative sent the draft to the Minister of the Economy, as the authority has to verify the financial impact of the proposed measures before the bill is passed.

Currently, only 3% of the country’s population uses gambling machines regularly. Compared to that, the number of Romanians playing lottery games is much higher, almost reaching 20%. However, Korodi is determined to introduce his proposal to the Senate no matter what the financial report might say.

Another recent proposal calls for new fees for both gambling operators and Romanian players. If the Government were to adopt the proposed taxation system, operators would have to pay a EUR 200 annual fee per gambling machine.