Romania just signaled a tougher line on youth gambling exposure.
Two Senate-approved bills target the two biggest levers: access age and advertising reach.
If you operate, affiliate, or supply in Romania, clarity now reduces enforcement risk later.
Audit your funnels, creatives, and onboarding today, not “after it becomes law.”

Key points

• The Senate advanced two measures: minimum gambling age to 21 and tight limits on online ads.
• The proposals also ban public figures from promoting gambling, across platforms.
• This direction aligns with recent CNA audiovisual rules, which already restrict gambling promotion and celebrity use in ads.

My take: Romania is finally attacking “exposure mechanics,” not just operators

From where I sit, Romania’s policy conversation has shifted. It no longer focuses only on licensing and taxation. Instead, it focuses on how people get recruited into gambling. That’s a meaningful change.

According to reporting and Senate communications, two legislative initiatives associated with MP Raluca Turcan cleared the Senate plenary despite earlier committee resistance. In plain terms, lawmakers want to:

1. Raise the minimum access age from 18 to 21.
2. Apply stricter advertising controls online, including an effective daytime restriction window, and remove public figures from gambling promotion.

Now, let’s be precise about what this means operationally.

1) The 21+ proposal is a compliance and UX redesign issue

Age-gating is not just a checkbox. If the age threshold moves to 21, every customer journey must reflect it. That includes signup, KYC rules, bonus eligibility, CRM segmentation, and RG triggers.

In practice, operators will need tighter pre-KYC friction and stronger age assurance logic. Meanwhile, affiliates and media buyers will need stricter audience filters. Otherwise, you risk driving underage or under-threshold traffic and triggering enforcement.

Also, expect reputational pressure. Even before a law takes effect, platforms often “pre-comply” to avoid scrutiny.

2) The online advertising “curfew” hits acquisition models first

If Romania restricts online gambling advertising between 06:00 and 24:00, performance marketing economics change overnight.

That window covers peak attention hours. Therefore, operators will shift budget into:

• retention and CRM,
• brand-safe sponsorships,
• and compliant content marketing.

Meanwhile, affiliate deals will get stricter. Expect more warranty clauses, more traffic audits, and faster takedown demands.

3) The celebrity ban is not symbolic

This part matters more than people admit. When lawmakers remove athletes, creators, and “trusted faces,” they directly attack social proof. The Senate materials describe a ban on using public personalities to promote gambling, regardless of platform.

This also connects with Romania’s CNA direction. In 2025, CNA’s updated audiovisual framework included a rule that prohibits gambling ads featuring public figures who could encourage participation, including online notoriety.

So, even if you try to “creatively interpret” one rule, the regulatory climate points one way: less influencer-led gambling acquisition.

Why this is happening now

Romania’s debate increasingly frames gambling as a youth exposure problem. The political messaging highlights minors, online targeting, and addiction risk.

And, importantly, these moves don’t exist in a vacuum. Europe has trended toward tighter ad rules, tougher RG enforcement, and more pressure on platforms to remove illegal promotion. Romania is clearly aligning with that arc.

What smart operators should do next

If you want a practical checklist, here’s mine:

• Update KYC and age gates assuming 21+ becomes real.
• Review affiliate contracts and add stronger compliance warranties.
• Inventory every creative that uses celebrities, athletes, streamers, or creators.
• Map your media schedule and identify exposure during restricted hours.
• Document RG controls because regulators increasingly ask for evidence, not statements.

None of this kills the market. However, it does reward disciplined operators.

Conclusion

Romania’s Senate push toward 21+ gambling access and daytime online ad restrictions, plus a ban on public figures in promotions, is a clear message to the industry: growth cannot rely on youth exposure and influencer persuasion.

If you operate in Romania, treat this as a strategic compliance moment. Act early, tighten your marketing governance, and build acquisition that survives regulatory tightening.

Tags: #Romania #iGaming #GamblingRegulation #Compliance #ResponsibleGambling #ONJN #AdvertisingRules #PlayerProtection