Key Highlights
- The National Gambling Office (ONJN) in Romania has allocated €5 million in grant funding to combat gambling addiction through its ‘Conscious and Free’ initiative
- Prevention, education, counseling, and treatment programs will receive the majority of funding at €3.6 million
- An additional €1.2 million has been designated for constructing or expanding dedicated treatment centers for individuals with gambling disorders
- Non-profit organizations have until May 11 to submit applications, with successful programs set to begin August 3 and continue until December 2026
- ONJN’s president describes this as an unprecedented move, representing the first public investment in problem gambling support programs by the regulator
Romania’s National Gambling Office is launching a substantial €5 million grant initiative aimed at tackling gambling addiction across the country.
This significant funding commitment operates under the ‘Conscious and Free’ national initiative, which received approval from ONJN in December 2025. The official announcement appeared in Romania’s Official Gazette.
Non-profit organizations throughout Romania will have access to these non-reimbursable grants. The financial resources come directly from ONJN’s operational budget allocated for 2026.
ONJN has structured the funding across three distinct categories. The primary allocation of €3.6 million supports comprehensive initiatives spanning prevention campaigns, educational outreach, counseling services, treatment programs, academic research, digital transformation projects, youth protection measures, and responsible gaming advocacy.
An investment of €1.2 million has been reserved specifically for developing or expanding specialized facilities dedicated to treating individuals struggling with compulsive gambling behaviors. This funding stream is exclusively available to public sector entities.
Key Dates for Application and Evaluation
The final €200,000 allocation supports research initiatives and impact assessment studies that will inform future policy development and intervention methodologies.
Interested organizations must complete their submissions by the May 11 deadline. ONJN will release preliminary eligibility determinations on May 15, allowing applicants a three-day period from May 18 through May 20 to file appeals.
Final compliance determinations and appeal resolutions are scheduled for release between May 21 and May 26. A designated Evaluation Commission will subsequently assess all qualifying proposals, with findings scheduled for publication on July 8.
Applicants may contest preliminary evaluation outcomes until July 13. The final award decisions will be announced on July 28, with grant agreements executed between July 29 and July 31.
According to ONJN’s timeline, funded programs will officially commence on August 3. All supported projects must conclude their activities by December 2026, providing approximately four months for implementation.
Regulator Chief Highlights Unprecedented Initiative
Vlad-Cristian Soare, who leads ONJN, characterized the initiative as a watershed moment for the regulatory body. He noted that never before has the organization allocated resources toward programs of this nature.
Soare recognized the substantial coordination necessary to launch the grant program. He credited cooperative efforts among ONJN, the Finance Ministry, and UEFISCDI as instrumental in establishing the initiative.
In Soare’s account, bringing the program to fruition required legislative amendments, restructuring of ONJN’s responsible gaming department, and creating the legal infrastructure essential for administering the grants. Two presidential decrees were enacted to formalize the methodology and establish applicant criteria.
He stressed that the regulatory infrastructure now exists to support similar funding initiatives in subsequent years.
As Romania’s gambling sector has expanded in recent years, concerns about problem gambling have intensified. The ‘Conscious and Free’ program represents the nation’s most substantial publicly funded response to this challenge to date.
Qualified non-profit organizations must submit their applications by May 11, 2026 to be considered for funding.
