ONJN Requests Meta and Google to Remove Illegal Gambling Ads

The Romanian National Gambling Office (ONJN) has sent official notices to digital giants Meta and Google, requesting the immediate removal of sponsored advertisements promoting unauthorised gambling in Romania.

The ads, found across Meta’s platforms and Google’s search engine, violated national laws and featured websites listed on the country’s official gambling blacklist.

ONJN has called on the two tech firms to urgently investigate the presence of illegal gambling ads, suspend all related sponsored campaigns, and disclose the identities and earnings of the accounts responsible. The regulator also urged both companies to introduce preventative measures to stop similar breaches from recurring.

According to Romanian law, advertising unlicensed gambling services is punishable by fines ranging from 50,000 to 100,000 lei (€9900–€19,800), with authorities authorised to seize any revenue generated from such activity. Providing payment, promotional or IT services to unlicensed operators may also constitute a criminal offence.

The updated list of licensed operators and prohibited websites is available on the ONJN website.