Timișoara’s Local Council unanimously approved a citywide ban on gambling halls, mayor Dominic Fritz announced on Tuesday, August 25. Existing venues will be allowed to operate only until their current licenses expire, no later than next year.

“From today, it is official: slot-machine halls can no longer be authorized in Timișoara,” Fritz wrote on Facebook. “The Local Council approved the decision through which we are completely banning gambling halls in the city.”

The only gambling-related activities that will continue to be permitted are lottery services operated by Romania’s National Lottery.

According to the mayor, the gambling halls that remain open will close gradually as the licenses issued by the central authorities in Bucharest expire.

In the spring, 173 locations in Timișoara held gambling authorizations issued by the National Gambling Office, according to Digi24.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

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