Romania’s Oficiul Național pentru Jocuri de Noroc (ONJN) has proposed an overhaul of the country’s self-exclusion system to close legal gaps and introduce effective protection mechanisms for vulnerable groups. The proposal was sent to the Ministry of Finance, and suggests creating a single national self-exclusion framework that would be binding for all online and land-based
Romania’s Oficiul Național pentru Jocuri de Noroc (ONJN) has proposed an overhaul of the country’s self-exclusion system to close legal gaps and introduce effective protection mechanisms for vulnerable groups.
The proposal was sent to the Ministry of Finance, and suggests creating a single national self-exclusion framework that would be binding for all online and land-based gambling operators. If approved, players would have the ability to self-exclude for specific periods or indefinitely, as well as apply cooling-off periods during which self-exclusion withdrawal wouldn’t be possible.
Additionally, self-excluded players would be allowed to recover their deposited funds, while physical casinos would be required to install identification systems and cameras, with $11,000 to $22,000 fines imposed if camera systems aren’t functioning.
Penalties between $11,000 and $22,000 can be imposed if operators fail to honor self-exclusions, and licenses can be suspended in cases of repeat or serious offenses. To improve clarity, casinos will have to change terminology to differentiate more clearly between ONJN-managed “self-exclusion” and operator-controlled “restriction.”
Online casinos would be obliged to show self-exclusion information on their websites, while land-based casinos would have to place QR codes that lead to the ONJN website.
Vlad-Cristian Soare, the president of the ONJN, said that the self-exclusion project will consist of three phases: operation under the current framework, legislative changes to eliminate shortcomings, and the launch of a new IT solution.