Cluj-Napoca Becomes the Largest City in Romania to Ban Gambling in Physical Spaces

Cluj-Napoca has become the largest city in Romania to ban gambling in physical spaces. The Local Council approved, on last Friday, the draft decision by which the activity is prohibited within the municipality, after the expiration of the licenses currently in force.

An exception was made for the municipality’s poker club. According to the decision, it will be allowed to operate for one year after the current license expires. During this period, the municipality will monitor the activity and assess the impact on the community.

Emil Boc explained in the Local Council meeting that the difference from slot-machine games was discussed during the public debates organised by the municipality.

“In poker, players make successive decisions and use strategies, while in slot machines the outcome is randomly determined by the machine.”

The mayor said that the one-year period granted to the poker club is a trial period, and if the activity creates problems for the community, the ban could be extended to it. Boc even offered a personal example when explaining how the situation will be monitored.

“I can see the poker guys from the window, if they’re not okay we’ll close them down. So far I’ve never seen an incident in that area. We’ll give them a chance for a year and then we’ll draw a conclusion,” the mayor said.

The project was adopted with 24 votes “in favor”, while one local councilor did not participate in the vote.

The decision is official and concerns gambling activities carried out in physical spaces in the municipality. However, the gaming halls will not be closed immediately. The operators will be able to continue their activity until the expiration of the licenses they currently hold, after which they will no longer be able to operate in Cluj-Napoca.

“We took into account what the people of Cluj want and passed this project,” Emil Boc declared after the decision was adopted.