Romania’s authorised slot-machine sector has contracted sharply following new regulations that transferred greater powers over gambling authorisation to local authorities, with only 2,337 slot-machine stations authorised between February and May 2026, compared with 18,981 in the same period of 2025, according to data cited by Profit.ro. The decline follows the entry into force of Emergency Ordinance 7/2026, which gives city halls greater authority to allow or prohibit gambling activities in their jurisdictions. Of those 90 decisions, 35 prohibit gambling activities, while 55 allow them to continue, according to the data cited by Profit.ro. The new rules have therefore reduced the number of authorised machines before most local authorities have formally decided whether gambling activities should be permitted in their jurisdictions. The government introduced the changes as part of wider efforts to regulate the gambling sector and give local authorities greater control over where gambling businesses can operate.