Romania’s parliament has voted in favor of a series of strict gambling restrictions on the sector, marking an important shift in the regulatory landscape. 

The list of regulations includes a ban on slot machines as well as the shutdown of gambling halls in smaller settlements with a population under 15,000 people.

The new decisions that have already been enacted have sparked a lot of controversy while also attracting praise from anti-gambling supporters. 

Uncommon Display of Unity 

The enactment of the new measures follows months of dormancy for the country’s proposed gambling law, which all of a sudden found itself thrown into the spotlight, quickly passing through all parliamentary committees and receiving the unanimous seal of approval from all political parties. 

This was quite an uncommon display of unity shown by Romania’s political area. 

The measures received 243 votes in favor, two against, and four abstained. 

Despite the bill’s unanimous support, the opposition has already raised concerns over the possible collusion between representatives of the gambling sector and government officials. 

More accountability and transparency are required as a result of accusations regarding undue influence and backroom deals, which have cast a shadow over the entire legislative process. 

Commercial Premises Require Town Hall Certificates 

According to the fresh legislation, to be allowed to operate slot machine games, commercial venues need to be located in administrative-territorial units that count a population that does not go over 15,000 inhabitants, as per a certificate released by their town halls. 

The law also states that it is prohibited to provide, directly or indirectly, gambling-related services to unauthorized entities and specific technical measures to prevent illegal access to online gambling.

The same regulation requires the National Gaming Office (ONJN) to create and maintain an online public register containing a list of all licensed operators in the country. 

The register must receive updates daily. The new measures that require a technical implementation will be detailed in an order of the ONJN president, which will be issued within 90 days of the time the ordinance will come into effect. 

The same measure also forbids operators from providing direct and indirect associated gambling services to unauthorized entities as well as a series of technical measures that would prevent illegal access to online gambling. 

Last week, the country’s government sparked debate with the freshest appointment of celebrity hairdresser Cristian-Gabriel Pascu as the vice president of the National Gambling Office.

Last October, Romania announced its plans for higher fees and stricter demands for operators.

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After six months of bidding, the process of choosing the host city for Clarion Gaming’s ICE and iGB Affiliate conferences is finally over. From 2023, Barcelona will take over the role of the host, and at the same time, iGB L!VE will be held in London.

A tough choice

The shortlist of candidates contained four cities: London, Madrid, Paris, and Barcelona, and it wasn’t easy to agree upon the final decision, and there were more than 30 factors to consider.

The relocation process of the ICE was conducted along with Equimore, a famous event strategy, and location specialist, and the decision was made by the ICE advisory board. By 2025, the 12-year tenure in London will expire, so it’s the right time to relocate. After ExCeL in London, the event will take place at Fira de Barcelona, a space that is placed across 240,000 square meters. A five-year contract is signed with the property, with the start date set for January 20 and January 22.

Clarion Gamin didn’t want to take any chances, so the company already booked 40,000 hotel rooms for the event, and they will inform stakeholders beginning in September.

And why was Barcelona chosen? According to the source, Alex Pratt, the Managing Director at Clarion Gaming, highlighted the city’s magnificent facilities, as well as great infrastructure and logistics. One of the main reasons was ROI for customers and the ability to scale. He stated he was grateful for the efforts the stakeholders made to make the process smooth and come to the right decision. All of the shortlisted cities’ applications were professional and overall good.

Pratt commented: “This was a complex, customer-led undertaking. The process enabled us to identify the city that our customers believe is best equipped to be our strategic partner for the future and is able to host two world-class events which meet the needs of businesses of all sizes and locations across every part of the gaming and ICE community.”

Grateful to ExCeL

Barcelona isn’t the only city that gets a new event. The famous iGB L!VE is moving to London in 2025 after taking place in Amsterdam.

Prat thanked ExCeL London, highlighting all of its help during the last 12 years, saying: “We remain committed to ExCeL London as a great destination and are looking forward to bringing iGB L!VE to London in July 2025 to continue this legacy and provide the perfect backdrop for this fast-growing event’s future in key gaming territory. Now this process is complete, our exclusive focus is on continuing the ICE and iGB Affiliate success stories in partnership with our international stakeholders and delivering an amazing experience in London in 2024.”

The following ICE will be held in London from 6 to 8 February, while the iGB event will take place on 7 and 8 February.

Source: Harrison, Robin. “ICE and iGB Affiliate moving to Barcelona from 2025”. iGaming Business. August 1, 2023.

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