One of the defining moments for Romania's gambling industry in recent years was the publication of the Romanian Court of Accounts (CCR) report, which revealed that ONJN had failed to fulfil its oversight and tax collection functions to minimum standards. Nearly €1 billion in taxes and contributions reportedly went uncollected over the 2019-2023 period.
What the Audit Found
The CCR identified major deficiencies: incomplete or delayed licence audits, insufficient oversight of GGR taxes with significant discrepancies between declared amounts and independent estimates, and outdated IT systems that did not allow real-time verification of operator data.
Institutional Consequences
The former ONJN president resigned. In his place, Vlad-Cristian Soare was appointed in April 2025 with an explicit mandate for institutional reform. The CCR announced it was considering initiating criminal proceedings against the officials responsible.
What Has Changed Under the New President
Soare has presented an ambitious reform programme: real-time access to mirror servers of online operators, a 98% rate of illegal content removal from Meta, Google and TikTok, blocking of over 200 illegal websites, 48 criminal complaints filed, and allocation of €5 million for community prevention programmes.