Romania Proposes Raising Gambling Age to 21 and Restricting Online Ads
A Romanian MP has tabled legislation to raise the legal gambling age from 18 to 21 and tighten online advertising rules.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:Raluca Turcan, a member of parliament for the National Liberal Party (PNL), submitted two bills to Romania’s Parliament on 5 November seeking to strengthen protections for young people by raising the minimum gambling age to 21 and restricting online gambling promotion. Turcan argued the 18-21 age band is particularly vulnerable because young adults are often transitioning into higher education or the workforce and managing finances independently for the first time.
In her proposal, Turcan said raising the threshold would create "a window of emotional and financial maturation" for young adults and reduce exposure to sophisticated, psychologically driven marketing tactics used by parts of the gambling sector. The proposal cites measures adopted elsewhere – Turcan referenced the United States’ 21‑year minimum, and pointed to Portugal, Greece and the Republic of Moldova as examples where higher age limits coincided with declines in youth problem gambling. She also noted that Belgium moved the gambling age to 21 just over a year ago and that Latvia plans to raise the gambling age to 21.
Alongside the age increase, the second bill would curb online advertising by banning gambling ads on digital platforms between 06:00 and 00:00 and prohibiting the use of influencers, athletes and public figures in gambling campaigns. The intent, Turcan said, is to reflect the media habits of younger audiences, who she said are ‘‘not attracted to traditional ads but to the models they follow and imitate online’’.
Industry groups and operators are likely to push back against both measures. The Romanian National Office for Gambling (ONJN) has previously warned operators about promotional practices and enforcement of marketing rules, and commercial providers have argued that tighter restrictions could push customers toward unregulated sites. One representative of a Romanian operator, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: "We support measures that reduce harm, but a blanket restriction on advertising hours and influencer content risks driving traffic offshore rather than curbing problem play".
More Regulation News
Regulation
Ex-NBA Player Damon Jones Pleads Not Guilty in Alleged Betting and Poker Schemes
Nov 07, 2025
Regulation
European Operators Agree Industry-First Standards for Gambling Influencer Marketing
Nov 07, 2025Regulatory Responses and Next Steps
The proposals arrive amid heightened regulatory scrutiny in Romania. Earlier this week, the ONJN placed the blockchain-based prediction market Polymarket on its blacklist of unlicensed gambling entities after reporting an "explosive increase" in unauthorised activity on the platform during the presidential elections in May. The blacklist move signals a willingness by regulators to take swift action against new, decentralised products that operate outside the licensed framework.
An independent addiction specialist, who requested not to be named, welcomed Turcan’s intervention but cautioned that age limits alone are not a panacea. "Extending the minimum age can reduce early exposure, but it must sit alongside effective education, stronger affordability checks and meaningful restrictions on targeted marketing if it is to cut harm", the specialist said.
Parliamentary debate will determine whether the bills progress to committee and a vote. If lawmakers advance the measures, Romania will join a small but growing group of European jurisdictions that have raised or are raising the threshold to 21, a shift that regulators say can produce measurable reductions in gambling-related debt and addiction among younger cohorts.
For now, the proposals underline a broader trend across Europe and North America: policymakers and regulators are reassessing how age limits and advertising rules interact with new digital channels, crypto-enabled platforms and social media marketing. The coming weeks are likely to reveal how political consensus, industry lobbying and international comparisons will shape Romania’s approach to gambling regulation.
RELATED TOPICS: Regulation
Latest News
Regulation
Ex-NBA Player Damon Jones Pleads Not Guilty in Alleged Betting and Poker Schemes
Nov 07, 2025
Casinos & Games
$3.85M Table-Game Jackpot Hits the Venetian – Millionaire Progressive Pays $3,845,727
Nov 07, 2025
Regulation
Review this New Post
Leave a Comment
User Comments
Comments for Romania Proposes Raising Gambling Age to 21 and Restricting Online Ads