Outlook: What is coming?

A draft Act amending and supplementing the Gambling Act was notified to the European Commission under Directive (EU) 2015/1535 as notification 2026/0536/BG on 2 October 2026. The draft proposes four material changes: a near-total ban on advertising of gambling games, operators and their trademarks across all channels (with narrow exceptions for venue signage, the operator's own website, state lottery draws, and sponsorship of licensed sports clubs and federations); termination of all active gambling-affiliate licences, created under the August 2026 regime, effective 1 January 2027; an increase in the online operator levy to 21 percent in 2027 and 22 percent in 2028 with a EUR 100,000 monthly minimum and new one-time licence fees of EUR 25,000 to EUR 100,000; and extension of real-time deposit, wager and winnings reporting from online betting to land-based slot machines and casino equipment. Public consultation (item 12738-K) closes 23 October 2026. No government bill has yet reached the National Assembly, so none of these changes has legal effect as of this period.

A draft Gambling Act amendment package, submitted for public consultation around 24 September 2026, proposes three linked reforms: a near-total ban on gambling advertising retaining only limited sponsorship of sport, a requirement for real-time NRA equipment monitoring at land-based venues with a proposed 31 March 2027 compliance deadline, and a new tax and fee framework including a minimum monthly tax contribution for online operators. None of these provisions has been enacted. Notably, a predecessor proposal in July 2026, covering a blanket advertising ban and a further tax rise, was rejected by the Ministry of Finance, reportedly on channelisation-risk grounds, indicating that enactment of the current package is not assured. Primary National Assembly bill text or NRA gazette text, which has not yet been located, would be the development most likely to move these provisions from probable to confirmed.

The Council of Ministers opened a public consultation on 23 September 2026, closing on approximately 23 October 2026, on a Gambling Act overhaul proposing a near-total advertising ban, termination of the affiliate licence regime created in August 2026, real-time connection of gaming equipment to the National Revenue Agency, and a higher online levy. Opposition parties are reported to be pushing to broaden the draft further, raising the possibility that any enacted version could be more restrictive than the version currently under consultation. Separately, a February 2026 bill to raise the minimum gambling age from eighteen to twenty-one and a June 2025 proposal for mandatory loss and wagering limits remain pending with no reported movement.

A Ministry of Finance draft law (registration 12738-K) was published 23 September 2026, with public consultation running to 23 October 2026. As published, it would impose a complete ban on gambling advertising, raise licence fees and taxes, and terminate existing affiliate-operator licences effective 1 January 2027. It would also introduce a new Article 42a requiring real-time data transmission from casino and gaming-hall equipment, with an implementing ordinance due by 31 March 2027 and operator compliance required by 30 June 2027. Casino and slot variable-fee provisions, along with repeal of the alternative tax, are deferred separately to 1 January 2028, indicating the reform programme is staged across at least two effective dates rather than delivered in a single tranche. The 23 October 2026 consultation close is the near-term date that will determine whether these measures proceed, are moderated, or stall.