SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
The Parliament of Romania will review the nation’s advertising code in relation to tightening laws and standards on the marketing and coverage of gambling products.
The directive has been ordered by the National Audiovisual Council (CNA), Romania’s media monitoring agency, who this week voted unanimously in favour of a ‘draft law’ to amend Romania’s existing advertising code.
Last November, the CNA was asked to provide its recommendation on the draft law, which carried the support of 79 deputies and senators representing the Social Democrats (PSD), Liberal (PNL), Alliance and Save Romania (USR) Parties.
Hosting a forum, CNA members unanimously recommended that the draft law be put to the Chamber of Deputies to begin legislative proceedings to reform gambling advertising.
CNA member Mircea Toma informed Romanian media that the agency supported the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidance that “gambling addiction should be treated as a mental illness and public wellbeing concern”.
As such, the CNA supports ‘Law no. 504/2002’ for incorporation into Romania’s advertising code, imposing “a ban on gambling and sports betting advertising to be sanctioned across all audiovisual commercial communication channels”.
Further legislative amendments would see online casino games, sports betting and slots classified as ‘prohibited products’ which cannot be promoted to Romanian audiences.
Draft amendments outline that media owners found in breach of new restrictions will be fined between Lei 10,00-to-50,000 (up to €10,000), depending on the severity of the infringement.
Toma cited confidence that the draft law would be fast tracked and approved, as it carried bi-partisan support due to the “increasing number of incidents recorded in Romania related to gambling harms.”
An advertising review follows Romania tightening online gambling laws in 2022, which saw the government order gambling regulator ONJN to implement a new tax framework on player winnings capped at a top tier of 40% on winnings above Lei 66,000 (€13,000).
Romania’s government will continue to revise gambling laws implemented in 2016, which allowed for its online market to open to international operators licensed by ONJN
