Romania Restricts Celebrity Appearances in Gambling Ads

Romania Restricts Celebrity Appearances in Gambling Ads

Romania is redefining the portrayal of gambling in the media, introducing new rules that restrict the involvement of public figures in promotional content. The decision, confirmed by the country's National Audiovisual Council (CNA), signals a broader regulatory adjustment aimed at altering how gambling-related messaging reaches audiences across television, radio, and digital channels.

This development centers on a revision to the Audiovisual Regulatory Code, a secondary framework through which the CNA governs broadcast standards. A newly drafted provision, included in Article 110, specifies that advertising content must exclude individuals with social, cultural, athletic, scientific, or digital prominence if their involvement might lead to an increased interest in gambling. The regulation applies to both traditional broadcasting and online formats, and it is expected to become enforceable 90 days after the updated code is formally enacted.

The decision was preceded by attempts from several industry players to maintain a degree of flexibility. Operators such as Winbet and Kaizergaming suggested a compromise that would allow notable personalities to remain visible in campaigns linked to responsible gambling messaging. These proposals were backed by the Romanian Football Federation and two national gambling associations, but the final ruling left no room for such exceptions.

The removal of celebrity influence from gambling advertising comes at a time when public awareness of media consumption—particularly among younger viewers—has grown. A campaign led by Save the Children Romania, titled “No Stars,” was launched earlier this month to address concerns about the growing presence of public figures in gambling promotions. The campaign highlighted the potential effect of these appearances in normalizing gambling behavior among minors and called for a complete end to such endorsements.

The regulatory shift means several prominent names in Romanian entertainment and sport will no longer be part of gambling-related campaigns. Figures such as footballers Adrian Mutu, Răzvan Raț, Cristi Pulhac, and Dan Petrescu, as well as tennis player Ilie Năstase and music performers Antonia and Alex Velea, have all previously appeared in gambling advertisements that circulated widely on national channels and online platforms.

This update is not isolated to the presence of celebrities. The revised code also introduces measures targeting on-demand audiovisual services, requiring that content accessible through streaming or digital distribution meets new standards for protecting underage viewers from gambling exposure. In practice, this means platforms offering video-on-demand services will need to review their compliance protocols to align with the regulatory changes.

Parallel to these national efforts, Romania's gambling regulator, the ONJN, has focused on how international digital platforms handle advertising related to gambling. Earlier in the same week, the regulator reported having contacted Google and Meta, the companies behind Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and major search engine infrastructure. The ONJN's correspondence raised concerns about ads targeting Romanian users that operators allegedly placed without local licensing.

In those cases, the regulator identified that some of the content being displayed came from entities already listed on its internal blacklist. The request to the tech firms was for stronger content filters and more rigorous enforcement to prevent such ads from reaching Romanian audiences. Authorities cited national legislation, which defines the facilitation of unauthorized gambling, whether through content hosting, payment processing, or ad placement, as illegal, carrying fines that can reach up to 100,000 lei, or roughly €20,000.

These recent regulatory moves suggest a more structured approach to managing the visibility of gambling in Romania's media ecosystem. Rather than focusing solely on the operators, the framework now addresses the broader promotional environment, from who is allowed to appear in advertisements to how platforms deliver them.

The ruling also reflects a growing divergence between commercial objectives and regulatory priorities. While celebrity endorsements have traditionally been seen as effective marketing tools for gambling operators, particularly in attracting attention through familiar faces, Romanian authorities appear intent on detaching such influence from gambling outreach entirely.

In doing so, the regulators are not only reshaping advertising standards but also prompting a shift in how gambling brands must approach public communication. Marketing strategies that previously relied on high-profile figures will likely need to be replaced with more neutral alternatives. The CNA's emphasis on minimizing potentially persuasive content, especially when targeting younger demographics, marks a more cautious stance that may set a precedent for further regulatory changes.

With these rules set to take effect later this year, the focus now turns to implementation. Operators, broadcasters, and digital platforms will need to align their advertising models with the revised code. The transition may also raise questions about how future gambling-related campaigns will strike a balance between visibility and compliance under tighter restrictions.

What is clear, however, is that Romania has chosen to distance public influence from gambling promotion, introducing a more regulated framework that aims to reframe the relationship between media, advertising, and gambling behavior in the country. Whether this results in broader shifts across other European jurisdictions remains to be seen, but for now, the curtain has come down on celebrity-driven gambling endorsements in Romania.