Romania’s crackdown on land-based gambling has reached a new milestone after Iași became the first county in the country where every local authority has voted to prohibit gambling halls operating slot machines.
The coordinated move follows a county-wide civic campaign that collected more than 7,000 signatures urging officials to tackle gambling-related harm. Under Romania’s updated gambling legislation, municipalities now have the authority to decide whether betting shops and slot machine venues can operate within their jurisdictions.
All 98 cities and communes across Iași County have approved measures to ban slot machine halls, making it the first Romanian county to implement a complete local prohibition.
The rollout will not happen simultaneously across the county. Some municipalities have opted to close venues immediately, while others will allow existing operating licences to run their course before enforcing the ban. According to Romania’s National Office for Gambling (ONJN), the final licences for affected venues in Iași are scheduled to expire in February 2027.
The decision reflects a broader shift in Romania’s gambling policy. Earlier this year, the government introduced sweeping reforms requiring retail gambling operators to obtain approval not only from the national regulator but also from local authorities before opening or continuing operations. The changes handed mayors and local councils significant influence over the future of betting shops and slot machine halls in their communities.
Since the reforms came into force, several Romanian cities have announced plans to phase out gambling venues, citing concerns over addiction and social harm. Iași is the first jurisdiction to achieve county-wide consensus, with every local council supporting restrictions.
Supporters of the ban argue that gambling addiction has become a growing public health issue and that communities should have greater control over the presence of gambling venues. Campaign organisers behind the Iași initiative said the new legal framework finally gave local authorities the ability to respond to residents’ concerns.
The latest development comes amid a wider debate over Romania’s gambling industry. Lawmakers continue to discuss additional measures, including tighter advertising rules, raising the minimum gambling age for certain products, and introducing further responsible gambling safeguards.
Industry representatives, however, have warned that increasingly restrictive rules could accelerate migration to the unlicensed market. The Romanian Association of Slot Machine Operators (Romslot) recently argued that a decline in regulated gambling activity during the first months of 2026 reflects players moving toward illegal operators rather than a genuine reduction in gambling participation.
Despite those concerns, Iași’s decision is expected to serve as a model for other Romanian counties considering similar action, highlighting the growing role of local governments in shaping the country’s gambling landscape.