It becomes illegal in Romania. Today, April 28, the law of “snacks” came into force. The measure aims to limit gambling addiction and provides for fines of up to 200 thousand lei.
The law of “snacks” came into force from today. The measure prohibits gambling halls in small towns to limit gambling addiction.
The law of “pacanels” came into force
This new law also provides for fines of up to 200 thousand lei. However, critics of the normative act say that it is insufficient given that the vast majority of addicts are in big cities.
Following the changes, in order to be able to carry out their activity, the operators of gambling games that make the slots available to customers have the obligation to present a certificate issued by the town hall in the territorial radius of the space proposed for these activities.
Gambling operators have several obligations
The document must certify that the gaming hall is located in an administrative-territorial unit with a population greater than 15,000 inhabitants.
Also, the National Gaming Office (ONJN) is required to establish and update a public register daily. It must be accessible online.
At the same time, it must include all operators authorized to carry out gambling activities.
Failure to comply with the law is punishable by fines from 100 to 200,000 lei
Failure to comply with the law is punishable by fines from 100 to 200,000 lei. Another penalty is the confiscation of the proceeds of the illegal activity and even the cancellation of the activity license.
The new measures complement the emergency ordinance which stipulates, among other things, that companies in the gambling industry must be based in Romania.
The law ran into a strong backlash from the opposition when it was promulgated
We remind you that the law of “snacks” met with a strong reaction from the opposition at the time of promulgation. For example, USR deputy Diana Stoica, initiator of several bills on the topic, argued that the “scourge of gambling” does not exist only in localities with 15,000 inhabitants.
“This measure is, at first glance, more digestible for gambling operators, since most of their income is generated by agencies in big cities. The impact is also reduced from a logistical point of view, because the original form of the law required the migration of all agencies to the outskirts of the cities”, said the deputy about this topic.
