Romanianregulator allocates €5m to tackle problem gambling

(AsiaGameHub) –   Romania is set to distribute €5 million (£4.3 million) in grants to address problem gambling, with the funding provided by the regulator, the ONJN.

The financial support is being made available through the National Public Interest Programme ‘Conscious and Free’, fulfilling a commitment by the ONJN that was published in the Official Gazette in December 2025.

The grants will be provided as non-repayable financing for non-profit initiatives, drawn directly from the ONJN’s 2026 budget earmarked for promoting socially responsible gambling.

The allocation is divided into three key areas. The largest portion, €3.6 million, is designated for prevention, education, safeguarding minors, treatment and counselling, research, digitalisation, and the promotion of responsible gambling.

A sum of €1.2 million will be dedicated to establishing or enlarging specialised treatment centres, a funding stream exclusively available to public authorities.

The remaining €200,000 will support studies and impact assessments to guide future public policy and intervention strategies.

A complete timeline has been published, outlining four distinct phases. Applications must be submitted by 11 May, with eligibility assessments released on 15 May. Applicants may appeal these outcomes from 18-20 May, and final decisions and compliance findings will be issued between 21-26 May.

On 8 July, the ONJN will publish the findings of an independent analysis alongside a report from a specially appointed ONJN Evaluation Commission.

These preliminary results can be challenged until 13 July, with the definitive results slated for publication on 28 July.

The concluding phase involves finalising grant contracts from 29-31 July, aiming for projects to start on 3 August. Each initiative will have a four-month duration, concluding in December 2026.

Vlad-Cristian Soare, President of the ONJN, stated: “I promised these projects would come to fruition. Despite previous challenges, they will proceed and, crucially, will assist vulnerable individuals.

“This secures the first funding of its kind in the ONJN’s history for such programmes and simultaneously establishes the necessary regulatory framework for future financing.

“It is important to note that enabling this funding required a joint effort by the ONJN, the Ministry of Finance, and UEFISCDI. This effort encompassed: amending legislation; reforming the internal responsible gaming service within the ONJN; constructing the legal mechanism and enacting two presidential orders that set the methodology and applicant guide; holding public consultations; developing a project submission platform; approving the State Budget Law; and publishing the programme and its announcement.”