Blow to the slot machine gambling industry: "They will be removed from all cities" in Romania
Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced on the 2nd of September, following a meeting of the Social Democratic Party, that there is a legislative proposal in Parliament which, once adopted, will ban slot machine gambling.
As a result, slot machine gambling establishments "will be removed from all cities" in Romania.
Related
- The ordeal parents go through when their children are addicted to drugs. The phenomenon has spiraled out of control in Romania
- Director of a drug addiction center: The problem in Romania is much larger than our solutions
- The friends of the young man who died in the accident in 2 Mai are launching an awareness campaign called "Drugs are NOT my life"
- The German government has given the green light to the legalization of recreational cannabis
- Exceptional Performances at the International Olympiad in Informatics. Romania ranks second strongest in the world
"We also have a proposal in the Chamber of Deputies regarding the organization and operation of gambling. These, the famous slot machines, will be removed from all cities, as is the case throughout Europe" - said the Prime Minister.
In Romania, gambling addiction leads to real tragedies. Statistically, 40 percent of addicts have, at some point, attempted suicide. Many of them are young.
Gambling addiction can take control of your life, said actor Augustin Viziru, who first gambled in his adolescence.
For 15 years, the casino was a way of life and a purpose in itself for him. He quit when his daughter was born.
The extent of this gambling phenomenon is evident on every street corner. Casinos, slot machines, sports betting, they're everywhere. And nearby, we find pawn shops, waiting for their victims, at any hour.
In Romania, there are over 11,000 sports betting agencies and 73,000 mechanical gaming machines... The famous slot machines... That's four machines per thousand residents.
In 2019, 30 percent of 15-year-old boys in Romania had tried gambling at least once. Well above the European average. This is despite the law not allowing minors to access gambling venues, as these should not be located near schools.
