Timișoara's city council has unanimously approved a ban on new gambling halls. Existing venues will lose the right to operate as their licences expire, with the last closures expected by 2027. Mayor Dominic Fritz confirmed the decision.
'This decision is now official: gambling halls can no longer be authorised in Timișoara,' Fritz wrote on Facebook. The council passed the complete ban without a single vote against. As of spring 2025, the city had 173 licensed gambling venues. An exception applies only to National Lottery outlets, which will continue to operate.
The ban became possible after the Romanian government transferred gambling licensing to local authorities. Councils now approve or reject new venues and impose restrictions. In 2024, Romania banned slot halls in towns with fewer than 15,000 residents, tightened zoning rules and restricted advertising. The number of slot machines nationwide fell from 80,000 to 36,000.
The president of Timiș County Council said in April that funds freed up from gambling hall oversight would go toward educational infrastructure — building schools and upgrading kindergartens.
Romania's land-based gaming market is valued at €1.67 billion ($1.95 billion) annually, according to H2 Gambling Capital data for 2025. That accounts for a third of the country's total gambling market. Timișoara is not the first Romanian city to impose strict limits: devolution of licensing powers has enabled municipalities to cut back the land-based segment, and several have chosen to do so.
