Around ten percent of the Romanians who gamble in casinos, bingo halls, or place bets on sports teams, are addicted to gambling, according to the Association to Prevent and Treat Addictions in Gambling in Romania. Of the 1.5 million Romanians who gamble, 150,000 can be considered addicts, according to Cristian Noaghi, head of the association.

“Over 1.5 million people are somehow involved in gambling, either casino, slots, sports bets or bingo. All types induce dependency. Of these, we estimate five to 10 percent are already addicted to gambling, and are being 'helped' by the impressive offers on the market, which only increase dependency, especially during times of crisis,” said Noaghi.

The association organizes programs to prevent and reduce gambling addiction.

Several chains of casinos and sports betting houses expanded to and throughout Romania in recent years. Stanley Bet, Public Bet, Bet Cafe Arena, Mozzart, Pariloto compete in the sports betting sector, while casinos such as Ritzio with the Million casino chain, Admiral, City Casinos and Max Bet are competitors in the casino segment.

editor@romania-insider.com