Romania Gives Grants of €5 Million to Address Problem Gambling

Under the “Conscious and Free” program, Romania’s gaming regulator ONJN will provide €5 million in non-refundable subsidies for initiatives aimed at preventing and treating compulsive gaming. The chosen projects are scheduled to begin in August and run for 4 months, ending in December of 2026.

Romania Increases Public Funding for Preventing Gambling-Related Damage

Romania’s national gambling office, the nation’s gambling regulator, will provide 5 million euros in aid for initiatives targeted at treating and preventing compulsive wagering. The funds are a part of the program – Conscious and Free national public interest project, which the ONJN agreed to in December of 2025 by publishing a statement in the Official Gazette.

The awards will be given to non-profit organizations as non-reimbursable funding. In order to promote socially responsible gambling, ONJN will use the funds straight from its 2026 budget. Projects are scheduled to begin in the late summer, ending in the last month of the year.

Form of Financing

The majority of the budget, €3.6 million, will go into research, digitalization, treatment, and counselling services, prevention and education initiatives, minors’ protection, and the encouragement of responsible gambling. Three financial components have been established by the regulator.

An additional €1.2 million will be used to build or expand specialized treatment facilities. The following portion of the budget is only available to public agencies. The remaining €200,000 will support research and impact analyses meant to guide future intervention and public policy initiatives.

Timeline for Applications

Projects must be turned in by May 11th. On May 15, ONJN will release eligibility assessments; from May 18 to May 20, candidates can challenge the results. Additionally, the regulator will release final resolutions and compliance results between May 21 and May 26. An objective analysis and the findings of a specially appointed Evaluation Commission will be published on July 8th, according to ONJN.

Preliminary results can be debated until 13th of July, as it is the deadline. The deal will be finalized from July 29 to July 31 after the outcomes are due on July 28. For the mentioned projects, ONJN has established August 3rd as the anticipated start date.

ONJN President’s Statement

ONJN President Vlad-Cristian Soare Said:

“I promised that these projects would materialize. Despite all the obstacles in the past, the projects will exist and, most importantly, they will help vulnerable people. We are thus ensuring the first funding in the history of ONJN for this type of programs and, at the same time, the necessary regulatory framework has been created for funding in the coming years.”

“I would like to remind you that, in order for these fundings to become possible, a collective effort was needed by ONJN, the Ministry of Finance and UEFISCDI, an effort that involved: amending the law; reforming the internal responsible gaming service existing at the level of ONJN; building the legal mechanism and adopting two orders of the ONJN president that established the methodology and the applicant’s guide;

Source: onjn.gov.ro

Romania Gives Grants of €5 Million to Address Problem Gambling

Romania Increases Public Funding for Preventing Gambling-Related Damage

Form of Financing

Timeline for Applications

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