Romania’s PM Announces “Gambling Reform” – Companies That Do Not Have Their Tax Headquarters in Romania Banned

No company will be able to operate in the field of gambling if it does not have its tax headquarters in Romania, a project in this regard was introduced in meeting of the Government, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Monday, who gave the example of companies with headquarters “through Transnistria”. He accused that during the pandemic “the gambling mafia was at the Government’s table”: “Slots were open all over Romania, while churches and hospitals were closed”.

At the beginning of the government meeting, Ciolacu said that an emergency ordinance in this regard will be introduced in the meeting of the Executive.

“I will also move forward on gambling regulations. I have no problem with the threats from the slot industry, and on Thursday we will issue an emergency ordinance by which all operators will be obliged to have their tax headquarters in Romania,” stated Ciolacu.

He said that the law in the Parliament, which provides for the removal of gambling halls outside the localities, will enter a regime of rapid adoption.

“I am convinced that the state authorities will shed light on how these intermediaries want to pressure certain politicians to make decisions in favor of this industry, as has happened in the past. As they did during the pandemic, when the gambling mafia was at the Government’s table. Slots were open all over Romania, while churches and hospitals were closed,” said Ciolacu.

PM Ciolacu made these statements at the “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, where he went to the opening of the academic year, he said then that the ban will be applied to companies that do not have their headquarters in Romania: “In the meeting from Thursday I will come with the gambling reform. No company, if it does not have its headquarters in Romania, will no longer be able to have this activity on the territory of Romania”.

Marcel Ciolacu accused on Saturday that there is “a form of blackmail” against him, as well as other officials of the Romanian state, after he proposed the draft law that removes the gambling halls outside the localities. “In my capacity as prime minister, I request the Romanian state to see if we are talking about a violation of the law and blackmail or just a random phenomenon,” added the PSD leader.

The bill that takes gambling halls out of towns was passed in early September by senators. According to the legislative initiative, the license for gambling is granted depending on the number of inhabitants of the locality, proven by a certificate issued by the local public administration authority, so that there is at most one workplace per 20,000 inhabitants.

The draft law aims to amend GEO 77/2009, being initiated by a group of MPs from the PSD and stipulates that the space dedicated to gambling is located no more than 50 meters from the territorial limit of the city/municipality or commune, including the municipality Bucharest.

All betting agencies, casinos or slot machines are targeted, with the exception of Lottery agencies for the sale of their own products. The draft law will go to the Chamber of Deputies, the decision-making body in this case.