Romania is facing a shortage of specialists to address gambling addiction among minors, the rates of which exceed the European average.
The issue was raised by Daniel David, Minister of Education and Research, who referred to the ESPAD 2024 report (European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs). The document revealed that Romanian youth are among the most active in Europe when it comes to the use of tobacco, alcohol, and gambling.
David emphasized that the country lacks sufficient mental health professionals to effectively deal with the growing cases of compulsive behavior among children.
“We are above the average in terms of alcohol consumption, smoking, gambling and online addiction,” he said, cited by Romania’s national news agency Agerpres.
“We do not have enough specialists or enough centers. When I say that we do not have specialists, I mean those specifically trained in this field, based on scientifically validated protocols. These are the levels that we need to develop.”
Despite numerous awareness campaigns conducted in schools in recent years, the minister stressed that the most effective way to combat compulsive behavior is within the family. Parents, he said, play a key role in prevention and support for children.
David raised the issue during a roundtable discussion in the city of Sibiu, which was attended by representatives of the healthcare system and child protection organizations. Among them was Gabriela Alexandrescu, Executive President of the Romanian branch of the international organization Save the Children.
She presented detailed data on the scale of minors’ involvement in gambling. According to her, 14% of children have gambled for money at least once in their lives, while 40% know peers who engage in gambling. These figures are based on a recent study conducted by the organization on gambling behavior among minors. Based on its findings, Save the Children has called for a complete ban on gambling advertising in the country.
Furthermore, Alexandrescu noted that one in ten children has a family member suffering from gambling addiction. This, in turn, supports Minister David’s point about the importance of family support – often it is the adult who needs help, and their addiction affects other family members.
Against this backdrop, representatives of the Romanian gambling sector continue to call for better education programs on addiction issues and stronger self-exclusion policies to better protect the population.
Meanwhile, with the reorganization of the National Gambling Office of Romania (ONJN), the question remains whether lawmakers are ready to respond to these calls.
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