Iași has become the first county in Romania where all local authorities have decided to ban gambling halls with slot machines, following a civic campaign that gathered more than 7,000 signatures.

The local councils of all 98 cities and communes in Iași County voted to prohibit gambling halls under powers granted to local authorities by recent legislation, making the county the first in the country to adopt such a comprehensive ban.

Implementation will vary across municipalities. Some local councils have opted to close gambling halls immediately, while others will allow existing licences to expire. According to the National Office for Gambling, the last licences in the county are due to expire in February 2027.

The initiative was driven by a county-wide civic campaign that argued gambling addiction had become a significant social problem.

"The ordinance moved the decision to local authorities. We were very happy because it is easier to convince a city hall than a government to legislate," civic activist Paul Ciobanu said, as quoted by Digi24.

"We can be happy that we are the first county to get rid of this phenomenon. We started with 'Iași – Say no to the scoundrels', and then another 170 local campaigns appeared."

Supporters of the ban said it would help reduce gambling addiction and its social consequences. Some residents who previously struggled with gambling welcomed the decision, saying their financial losses had far exceeded any winnings.

The Iași initiative could serve as a model for other Romanian counties, as the legislative framework now allows local councils to decide whether to authorise gambling halls within their jurisdictions.

In related news, residents of a neighbourhood in Timisoara have protested City Hall’s proposal to relocate all the gambling halls from the city to their area. PSD local councilor Roxana Iliescu announced plans for a public referendum on banning the gambling halls on the territory of the city, according to Renasterea. 

iulian@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Welcomia/Dreamstime.com)