Romanian gambling regulator ONJN faces bribery scandal after deputy director's arrest
2026-07-31
Source: iGaming Expert
Romania's gambling regulator ONJN is facing fresh controversy after its Deputy General Director was arrested on bribery charges, with several other officials also under investigation. The case adds to the regulator's recent troubles, including a major audit failure that reportedly cost the state up to €900m.
Romania's gambling regulator ONJN is facing fresh scrutiny after Ana-Maria Badea, its Deputy General Director, was taken into custody over alleged bribery.
According to News.ro, Badea is accused of accepting $2,500 to speed up approvals for new gambling games. Her husband, along with two ONJN inspectors and a company director, is also implicated in a broader probe into bribes reportedly ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 lei (approximately £163 to £815).
Badea's arrest took place on 29 July, and a court ordered her to be held for 30 days while the investigation proceeds. The other four suspects - the husband, a company director identified as BIA, and inspectors Blaga Radu-Andrei and Brătan Radu-Constantin - have been placed under judicial control for 60 days.
Corruption probe
The National Anticorruption Directorate has alleged that the offences occurred between 23 December 2025 and 21 May 2026. Badea is said to have taken payments from several commercial firms to accelerate their regulatory filings. According to prosecutors, she allegedly "ensured the prompt and favourable resolution" of requests submitted to the ONJN regarding new games, reauthorisation and other administrative matters.
The two inspectors are separately accused of accepting payments, including from BIA, to overlook irregularities discovered during their assessment work. All four individuals are banned from leaving Romania, and investigators may later request that their judicial control be upgraded to house arrest or preventive arrest.
Earlier audit controversy
This is not the ONJN's first brush with scandal. The regulator made national headlines last year after failing to carry out required audits of licences and tax duties between 2019 and 2023. The lapse was reported to have cost the state between €630m and €900m in lost tax revenue.
The ONJN and its President, Gheorghe-Gabriel Gheorghe, were summoned to parliament to answer questions about the audit failures. He disputed much of the criticism, arguing that the findings reflected different readings of the office's legal obligations and that many of the deficiencies dated back to a previous administration. The ONJN later said it had adopted the report's recommendations to avoid a repeat.
Although the current bribery case appears to involve only a handful of individuals, it is likely to complicate the ONJN's efforts to rebuild its reputation.