ONJN begins a new leadership tenure under Vlad-Cristian Soare, who will serve as the President of the National Gambling Office of Romania (ONJN). Soare’s appointment as the successor to Gheorghe Gabriel Gheorghe as President of ONJN was announced to Romanian authorities in April.

Gheorghe chose to resign ahead of Romania hosting its re-scheduled Presidential Elections on 18 May, won by Bucharest mayor Nicușor Dan as an independent candidate.

The presidential elections took place against a backdrop of instability, marked by the annulment of the 2024 presidential vote and widespread concerns over foreign interference by Russia.

A lawyer and former lecturer at the University of Bucharest, Soare has no previous involvement in the management of ONJN.

The department is under significant scrutiny following its failure to audit taxes and authorisation fees, which have cost the Romanian government a near €1bn in lost income.

Taking office, Soare acknowledged the current political sensitivities in Romania, stating: “Today I went from office to office in the institution I run. Not to talk about voting, but to tell my colleagues a simple thing: for me, it doesn’t matter what they voted for. It matters that we are here, together, for the same goal.

“I admit, I was happy with the result. It was a vote in line with my convictions. But this joy comes with responsibility, care and, perhaps most importantly, moderation. At the same time, I also feel the tension, the frustration, the rupture. And I know that a true victory does not mean being right alone, but building together.”

In addition to its auditing failures, ONJN has been accused of negligence in its enforcement and monitoring of licensed operators.

Filing its auditing report, the Court of Accounts informed Parliament that ONJN executives could be liable for criminal prosecution due to the agency’s regulatory failures.

Calls to disband ONJN are led by the Save Romania Union (USR), of which Nicușor Dan was formerly a member. Senator Ciprian Rus, leader of USR, summoned Gheorghe Gabriel Gheorghe to face a parliamentary inquiry. This was refused by the former ONJN president, who claimed he did not wish to participate in a “political sideshow”.

Gheorghe stated that ONJN’s discrepancies stemmed from outdated IT systems, which hindered effective monitoring and enforcement of gambling regulations. 

The systems had not been updated to reflect the tax reforms introduced in 2019, including the 2% monthly tax on online gambling operators, calculated based on total participation fees collected each month.

USR maintains that ONJN must face repercussions for its regulatory failures, and has called for the Ministry of Finance and Tax Office to assume temporary governance of Romanian gambling.

Seeking to place ONJN under review, USR demands that Romanian authorities support its proposed stop-gap measure to impose a limit on gambling expenditure to 10% of a player’s monthly income – a move billed as a new “accountability safeguard for Romanian gamblers”.

Whether ONJN is maintained or not, Romania’s gambling sector requires more stable management, following a period marked by frequent leadership changes since 2018 and significant shifts in taxation, authorisation fees, and regulatory enforcement.

Soare concluded: “My political colour is decency. That’s what I told my colleagues. I think that, beyond the differences, we need to remember what unites us: honest work, professionalism, balance.”

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