In Romania, according to a draft government decision under public debate at the Ministry of Economy, the lottery games could be played online or at terminals located in shopping malls, without the need to travel players to the headquarters of the agencies.
The GD could change the way they play the lottery, in the context of the coronavirus pandemic, so that people no longer have to travel to the agency’s headquarters to place a ticket. Those who play the lottery will be able to do this from home (online, in the dedicated section of the site) or using one of the terminals in shopping malls or other spaces where such activity is allowed.
According to the explanatory memorandum accompanying the draft GD, gambling activity has been profoundly affected by social distancing and the restriction of the movement of people imposed by the coronavirus pandemic. Therefore, such a change in the way we play could be a solution for the gaming industry to continue its activity.
The draft GD also provides a series of conditions that will have to be met in case the lottery winners will decide to choose one of the two methods presented above.
The stand-alone terminal will need to have:
- an interface that allows participation in the game, registration, and issuance of related documents;
- devices allowing the payment of the participation fee, such as acceptor of banknotes and/or coins or another device for accepting the related payment;
- a printer for printing game tickets.
Then, those who want to place lottery tickets online, on the official websites of the National Company “Loteria Română S.A.”, will have to pay a participation fee. Also on the site, participants will be able to consult the terms and conditions of participation and will be able to print the document on granting the right to participate.
The GD presented in this material does not currently apply. In order to enter into force, it must be adopted by the Government and published in the Official Gazette.
