Romania's new PM faces gambling tax, ONJN regulator and problem gambling funding decisions

Romania has elected a new Prime Minister, Lula Niculescu, after five months of political stalemate and three failed attempts to form a government. He was nominated by President Nicusor Dan, and takes office during a six-month truce between the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the National Liberal Party (PNL), which is intended to bring stability and allow the 2027 budget to pass.

With the government aiming for a deficit of 5.2% of GDP, every sector is a potential source of revenue, and gambling is no exception. Operators are still adjusting to the tax increases introduced under Law 141/2025. Taxes on player winnings now stand at 4% for payouts up to RON 10,000, 20% for payouts between RON 10,000 and RON 66,750, and 40% above that level. The online authorisation tax rose from 21% of GGR to 30%, and the minimum annual online authorisation tax went from €400,000 to €480,000. Fixed-odds betting and gaming machine taxes were also raised.

Against that backdrop, the new Prime Minister must weigh the impact of any further increase, particularly on smaller operators and land-based venues. The central question is whether the government needs new taxes or whether better collection of existing liabilities would be enough without undermining the long-term sustainability of the sector.

The national gambling regulator, ONJN, is a second challenge. It has suffered negative publicity since an independent audit found close to €1bn in missing taxes in 2025, which led to the resignation of then-President Gheorge Gheorge. Vlad Cristian-Soare was appointed in April 2025 but was replaced in August by Valentin-Ioan Tomescu. Over the summer, reports also emerged of current and former senior ONJN officials being questioned over alleged bribery cases. The turmoil has disrupted the regulator's policy work, even though 85% of the funds it collects from licensed operators go to the state budget.

The third issue is a €5m grant programme for problem gambling initiatives, launched under Soare. A total of 54 projects were approved in July 2026, but on 2 October the new ONJN leadership suspended the scheme, saying a review is needed to assess its legal and budgetary basis. Niculescu's government will be expected to show transparency in resolving the matter and to demonstrate its commitment to tackling gambling-related harm.