Romania Gambling Regulator Uncovers Major Tax Evasion

Romania’s National Office for Gambling (ONJN) has revealed a major tax evasion scheme after a month-long investigation into suspicious financial activity among local operators. The discovery has prompted authorities to tighten oversight of the country’s gaming sector.

“Perfect” Winning Streaks Mask Revenue

Investigators identified a pattern of manipulated gross gaming revenue. Some operators reportedly reported implausible player wins to reduce taxable income. In one instance, a player was recorded winning over 30 times in a single day. Another case showed 84 wins in a short period, with total payouts reaching RON 10 million.

These artificial wins allowed certain operators to underreport profits and avoid paying millions in taxes, including RON 5 million from a remote operator and RON 18 million from a slot machine company.

Rebuilding Oversight

The crackdown follows a year of scrutiny after the Court of Accounts criticized the ONJN for insufficient oversight in 2025, highlighting a funding gap worth hundreds of millions. Vlad-Cristian Soare, appointed ONJN President in April 2025, immediately replaced management in key monitoring departments and discovered the regulator lacked direct access to operator servers. This left authorities unable to track digital wagers effectively.

Technological and Regulatory Upgrades

ONJN has now gained full access to online operators’ mirror servers, enabling direct retrieval of all mandatory tax reports. This upgrade allows the agency to verify transactions in real time, improving transparency across the sector.

The new “Pro-Europa” coalition government is also considering broader reforms, including transferring casino oversight to the national tax authority and raising the legal gambling age from 18 to 21, responding to concerns over underage gaming.

Regulation Over Prohibition

Despite the tax scandals, President Soare rejects a full gambling ban, warning that prohibiting gambling would only drive users to the illicit market. Instead, he advocates for strong legislation with strict state control to create a predictable environment while holding operators accountable for violations. Romania’s gaming industry is entering a new era focused on transparency, responsibility and robust oversight.