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Romania’s National Gambling Office (ONJN) has signed a cooperation protocol with the National Institute for Research and Development in Informatics (ICI Bucharest) to build a new digital platform for player self-exclusion.
The deal, announced on February 9, 2026, follows ONJN’s proposal to amend the legal framework through an emergency ordinance.
The regulator said the changes aim to remove gaps in the current law and create a single, coherent system that offers real protection for vulnerable players. The new platform will allow users to self-exclude remotely by scanning their ID and verifying their identity biometrically, replacing the existing technical solution.
ONJN President Vlad-Cristian Soare stated that the project is being implemented in stages.
“I promised that self-exclusion would not remain a project on paper, as I found it when I took office, but would be implemented in three stages: functioning within the current legal framework (already implemented), legislative modification to remove existing dysfunctions, and implementation of a modern IT solution (in progress),” he stressed.
What does the measure propose?
The reform introduces a unified self-excluson procedure managed directly by ONJN, binding on all operators both online and land-based.
Players will be able to choose fixed exclusion periods or opt for indefinite bans, with a mandatory cool-off period preventing early withdrawal. Those wrongly allowed to gamble despite being excluded will have the right to recover deposited funds, minus any withdrawals made.
Retail venues must install identification systems and surveillance cameras, with fines between 50,000 and 100,000 lei ($11,600 – $23,200) for non-compliance. Operators that ignore self-exclusion rules face similar penalties and risk suspension of their license for repeated or serious breaches.
The proposal also clarifies the difference between “restriction,” which is a private arrangement between operator and player, and “self-exclusion,” which applies universally through ONJN.
Operators will be required to display clear information about self-exclusion on their websites and physical venues, including QR codes linking directly to ONJN’s portal. Players must be guided to the correct procedure, ensuring they understand the difference between restriction and self-exclusion.
ONJN also plans to expand enforcement powers beyond its own inspectors, allowing police officers to share responsibility for monitoring compliance.
Speaking on the deal, ICI Director General Adrian Victor Vevera stated,
“ICI Bucharest assumes with responsibility its role as technological partner of ONJN in developing a modern, secure and efficient IT system for improving the self-exclusion mechanism. We believe that digitalizing this process is an essential step for protecting vulnerable people and increasing responsibility in gambling.”
