Valentin-Ioan Tomescu Appointed President of Romanian Gambling Regulator ONJN

Romania’s National Gambling Office (ONJN) enters a new chapter after Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan dismissed Vlad-Cristian Soare and appointed Valentin-Ioan Tomescu as president. This leadership change, issued through Government Decision No. 283/2026 and officially recorded in the national gazette, comes just over a year after Soare took office during a period of mounting scrutiny of the Romanian gambling regulator.

Focus Keyword: ONJN leadership transition in Romanian gambling regulation

ONJN’s presidency now passes to Valentin-Ioan Tomescu, who is no stranger to the regulator’s operations. Previously, Tomescu led the South-East Territorial Service in Constanța before advancing to the General Directorate of Supervision and Control. In this role, he was directly responsible for operator inspections, imposing sanctions, and enforcing compliance with licensing and authorisation requirements. Tomescu’s background highlights his experience in regulatory oversight and operational controls.

Vlad-Cristian Soare’s One-Year Tenure and Key Reforms

Vlad-Cristian Soare assumed the presidency of ONJN in May 2025, a turbulent period following a Court of Auditors’ report that identified the regulator’s failure to collect €1 billion in taxes owed by gambling operators. To address transparency and accountability concerns, Soare introduced reforms including:

• Modernisation of Romania’s gambling self-exclusion programme with a fully digital scheme that encompassed all online operators.
• Securing approximately €5 million in grant funding for social projects countering problem gambling through the ‘Conscious and Free’ programme.
• Collaborating in pan-European action to prohibit prediction markets, including banning platforms such as Polymarket and Kalshi in Romania.
• Blocking approximately 1,300 illegal gambling websites as part of efforts to protect the regulated market.
• Managing a phase of market consolidation, which saw the number of licensed operators fall from 200 to fewer than 100.

Soare’s reforms gained recognition from the Court of Auditors for contributions to transparency and sector stability. However, his dismissal was abrupt, with no formal explanation provided by the government.

Anti-Corruption Investigations Involving Senior ONJN Staff

The leadership transition at ONJN is set against a background of ongoing anti-corruption investigations. In a public statement, Soare emphasised the institution’s recent internal efforts:

“We changed the leadership of the directorates, we ordered internal investigations and notified the criminal investigation bodies whenever we had clues. This year’s Anti-Corruption Directorate investigation at the ONJN is a consequence of serious violations that are not compatible with the direction I wanted.” — Vlad-Cristian Soare

Several senior figureheads are currently implicated in separate probes:

• Former Deputy Director General Ana-Maria Badea is under investigation for alleged bribery. Badea previously served under former ONJN president Gheorghe-Gabriel Gheorghe, who resigned in the wake of the €1 billion tax gap.
• Odeta Kristanela Nestor, ONJN president from 2013 to 2017, was detained in June on suspicion of corruption.

These investigations reflect broader governance concerns and have contributed to the urgency of the current reform agenda.

How ONJN’s Policy Approach Is Likely to Evolve Under New Leadership

Valentin-Ioan Tomescu’s appointment follows his tenure leading the ONJN’s primary supervisory department, with practical experience in enforcement and compliance monitoring. While the government has not indicated a change in direction, Tomescu’s operational focus may impact the implementation of measures targeting both illicit operators and market integrity.

The recent reforms—ranging from digital self-exclusion systems to cross-border bans on prediction market products—set expectations for ongoing regulatory tightening. External audit and anti-corruption outcomes will continue to shape ONJN’s policy priorities, affecting both domestic operators and international firms offering gambling or payments services in Romania.

Implications for Romanian Gambling Stakeholders

Licensed operators now face heightened regulatory scrutiny and intensified compliance checks. Soare’s departure and Tomescu’s operational background suggest continued enforcement of sanctions and possible additional monitoring initiatives. The consolidation of the Romanian gambling market underlines the regulator’s intent to strengthen oversight and clamp down on non-compliant activity—a trend reinforced by sustained cooperation with the Court of Auditors and cross-agency investigators.

Industry participants should continue to monitor ONJN policy updates and the regulatory schedules published in the national gazette, as further changes may arise from ongoing anti-corruption cases or political decisions affecting market access and regulation.