Romania's €5M Aware and Free Programme Targets Gambling Harm Reduction
National Office for Gambling (ONJN) has opened its first-ever funding call under the "Aware and Free" program, allocating €5 million to initiatives focused on preventing gambling-related harm.
Applications opened on 20 April and will run until 11 May, after which the regulator will assess eligibility and publish initial results by 26 May. Projects will then undergo independent review, with final results expected on 8 July. Pending any appeals, successful applicants should be confirmed by 28 July, with projects launching in early August and running through the end of 2026.
ONJN president Vlad-Cristian Soare, said:
We promised that these projects would materialize. Despite all past obstacles, the projects will exist and, most importantly, will help vulnerable individuals. We are thus ensuring the first funding in ONJN's history for this type of program, while also creating the regulatory framework for future funding.
The €5 million budget will be split across three areas. The largest share €3.6 million will support prevention, education, treatment, research, digitalization, and responsible gambling initiatives. A further €1.2 million is reserved for infrastructure projects, such as developing or upgrading treatment centeres, and will be available only to public authorities. The remaining €200,000 will fund research and impact studies to support policy development.
The initiative comes amid a challenging start to 2026 for Romania's iGaming sector. The market saw a sharp decline in activity, with the Blask Index dropping 24.4% across January and February, marking one of the weakest starts to a year in the past decade.
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