What is happening with the bets banned by the Government: “They fixed the 10% where you could bet less”, says an organization in the market. What do the authorities say?

In a sudden revival of an older conflict, the Government of Romania is accused by the interested party in the gambling industry of a targeted intervention in the gambling market, namely the withdrawal from use of a certain type of gambling, called “limited bets” – AWP.

• These are machines with stakes and limited winnings (Amusement With Prize). Marcel Ciolacu is pointed at by the patronage that generally groups small gambling companies – he is the one who banned them two years ago.
• On the other hand, a gambling player points out that he became addicted precisely by playing this kind of games, presented by a part of the industry as “less harmful”.
• The recent conflict both in the industry and between a part of the market and the national administration, adds to a problem that is almost unaddressed by the authorities, about which GOLAZO.ro also recently reported, in a series of investigations: “The octopus of illegal bets”.

An intense controversy in the Romanian gambling market centers on a specific type of “pigs”. Out of 90,000 machines available in Romania in 2022, almost 10,000 were AWP, i.e. machines with stakes and limited earnings (Amusement With Prize).

Doru Gheorghiu, the representative of the Exprogame association (Patronatul of Organizers, Producers and Exploitators of gambling games), says that “these limited-stake machines were removed from the market “by hand” in 2023-2024 by the Ciolacu government. The decision was taken without any logical explanation, claims Gheorghiu.

The remaining machines on the market (about 45,000 nationwide today) have unlimited stakes and winnings. Even 100 lei can be bet on a “hand”, and the winnings or bonuses promised are huge – 100,000 euros or, sometimes, luxury cars.

How much is played?

At the same time, AWP slots had a maximum limit of 2 lei per spin and a maximum win of 1,000 lei. That is 50 times less, with no additional jackpots.

In Romania, according to a report by the National Bank of Romania, Romanians took part in gambling with the equivalent of 2.5 billion euros, only online, with the card, in 2023. These are not the losses, but the money wagered. Part of the sums return to those who play, as winnings.

Another statistic, from the INS, shows that the total figure, which also includes games in physical agencies, including “grocery shops” was 1.1 billion euros in the first 6 months of 2025. It is also about the money with which people participate in gambling, part of which is returned as winnings.

“Under the apparently well-intentioned statements of the Ciolacu Government, an extensive action of of the market in favor of the big game companies. The current Government has the opportunity to correct this situation because the black market has exploded, and addiction shows no signs of being combated, as Ciolacu promised. Well, what's more, a budgetary hole of tens of millions has been created!”, claims Doru Gheorghiu, the representative of the Exprogame association.

Fun vs Addiction

“It was a bizarre choice, because this type of device is widely encouraged in developed gambling countries in Western Europe. You find it everywhere, in airports, tobacconists or bars in Germany, Austria, Italy or Spain”, described the situation an industry employee.

“However, it was banned here by Marcel Ciolacu and his people! In other words, the least dangerous ones were eliminated, but the ones where you can play at high stakes and, therefore, you can lose huge amounts very quickly, were left on the market.”

However, there are also contrary opinions, which claim that low-stake machines are in no way less harmful, but just “the same Màrie with a different hat”.

“AWPs are just another mask for the same vice. I did not become addicted to jackpots of 500,000 lei. I lost thousands of lei for small amounts, constantly, compulsively. And 2 lei per spin can ruin a man, when he is caught in the circle of addiction”, said a player of “pačanele”, in a statement for PlayResponsibly.ro.

According to investigative website Snoop, a September 2023 meta-analysis of 23 studies from 2016-2022 shows that the prevalence of gambling addiction in a population averages 1.3% in the adult population (plus 2.43% risk gamblers). If we decline the figures for Romania, that would mean more than 200,000 Romanians affected by addiction and approximately 400,000 more with problematic/at-risk consumption.

Other research says that one problem gambler creates problems for 7 other family members, friends, etc. Additionally, gambling addiction has the highest suicide rate of all addictive disorders. A 2024 Norwegian study determined that suicide was the leading cause of death among gambling addicts.

22% of young people between the ages of 14 and 18 have participated in gambling at least once, according to a study by the Center for Studies in Political Ideas, cited by Euronews.

What ONJN says: “They could be introduced, but we must be able to properly control the phenomenon”

Several representatives of the gaming industry are pushing for the reintroduction of AWPs on the market. They admit that they are directly interested.

“Why did they take us out?! It was neither logical nor useful for the industry or the players. AWP machines must be put back into the circuit. It would be the most effective alternative to fight addiction. To limit the possible stake and the promised winnings and not to offer the mirage of a jackpot is to not allow the individual to lose the sums that bring him into the zone of personal drama. All over Europe the exploitation of limited risk machines is encouraged, only in us they are prohibited! The current government must solve the problem. That would also bring more budget collection”.

Vlad Soare, the president of the National Office for Gambling, told HotNews that “to the extent that ONJN becomes a strong and efficient institution, with properly sized control tools, the discussion of the reintroduction of AWPs could be reopened”.

The official admits that “studies show that AWPs do not pose a greater social risk, as they are limited-risk machines, while classic slots are unlimited-risk machines. However, AWPs must be used correctly and checked effectively.”

What does it refer to?

“Although I was not involved in ONJN at the time of their ban, I know that a real risk was identified in the market, there being a reasonable suspicion that certain gambling operators, for AWP type machines, were changing / modifying the game tiles so that they became in reality unlimited risk gambling devices, thus avoiding specific taxation.”

“The idea of ​​exploiting AWP devices is not a bad one, but the control institution (ONJN) must be strong enough to be able to achieve real and effective control. Currently, although the institution brings revenues to the state budget of over 1 billion euros annually, it has a limited budget of only 6 million euros, is undersized and does not benefit from effective control tools”, says Vlad Soare, president of ONJN.

Vlad Soare spoke about the problems of the institution he leads. He targets the fairness of some of the ONJN employees.

“Although there are also extremely fair and efficient officials in ONJN, I have also identified serious indications of certain integrity problems, which is why I have started an extensive process of institutional reform that I want to be able to complete. I am a supporter of the idea that the police acquire control powers alongside ONJN workers, and in parallel, I have started the process of digitizing the institution.”

“Official” snacks have halved compared to 3 years ago

ONJN has made available to the editors official statistics on the number of gambling machines authorized on the territory of Romania.

Here are the numbers:

70 gambling operators operating slots were licensed in Romania at the end of 2025. In 2022, their number was more than triple: 254. And these games are affected by phenomena that alter reporting. The most significant of them is represented by illegal betting. According to a series of investigations by GOLAZO.ro, the “sinister of illegal betting” reaches a significant market share in Romania. For example, “the “black” sites are more than 50 times more than the number of authorized companies, which pay taxes and obey the regulations of the Romanian state, according to the ratio between the 31 legal players and the theoretically “banned” sites by ONJN, which exceed 1,700″.