Municipalities are letting licenses expire, while slot machine parlors are closing in major cities. Players are moving online

Gambling halls are closing in Bucharest and other major cities after city halls were given the right to decide whether to allow this activity and under what conditions. In the absence of local decisions, licenses are no longer renewed after expiration, and operators can no longer maintain their business premises.

On Calea Moșilor, in the Obor-Traian area, only three of the 13 halls previously operating along a distance of less than one kilometer remain. Some premises have been converted into restaurants or are to be used for other commercial activities.

In Bucharest, the number of licensed halls fell from 830 in March to approximately 230. Nationwide, the industry claims that more than 70% of halls have closed, while the number of licensed machines is 45% lower than at the beginning of the year. Operators estimate that by February 1, the activity could disappear from localities that do not adopt regulations.

Similar measures have been taken in Brașov, Iași, Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara, and Ploiești, while in localities with fewer than 15,000 inhabitants, gambling has been banned by law. Specialists warn, however, that the activity has moved online or into the illegal sector, while economists anticipate significant losses to the state budget.