My heart just got stuck here…
Dan Ghiță, President of the newly established association in the Romanian gambling industry, in an exclusive interview for the readers of Casino Life & Business Magazine
Good afternoon, Dan, and thank you for agreeing to answer to our questions in this special interview. Here is the first one:
Who is Dan Alexandru Ghiță?
A man of a great experience in the gambling sector in Romania, who intends to change the things for the better in this area, via RomBet Association, under his management. I joined this industry in 1998. After graduating from the Faculty of Electronics of the Polytechnic Institute of Bucharest and a diploma in Business Management and of Investments from the Academy of Economic Studies in 2012, I became the General Director of the Romanian Lottery. It was a short, yet intense and interesting stage.
When did you first make contact with the gambling world?
Everything happened around 1992-1993 when my father and a cousin of his opened a company that manufactured, imported and operated gaming and entertainment equipment. Officially speaking, I have been working here since 1998.
Why did you stay here and not go somewhere else?
I have really enjoyed this gambling market, ever since my first experience I was telling you about. I was very young and my heart just got stuck here…On the other hand, I knew a lot of people involved in this sector and it was a perfect match with the studies I had completed.
You are the President of the recently established professional association ROMBET. What is your take on the current status of gambling in Romania?
I can mention to you the main ‚headaches’ that I have noticed – the gambling market in Romania fails in being unitary, the legal stipulations are not implemented uniformly either. Hence, the industry is rather fragile if any – predictable – force actions are occuring.
What is ROMBET and is the novelty that it brings?
RomBet is an Association of the Betting Organizers that delivers to the gambling industry an European idea of representing and support for the operators in our country, whether they come from betting areas or others. Any operator activating in the gambling market, with no exception, is welcome to RomBet. Our aim is to have a new approach of the market, a different relation with the state institutions in this sector, a balance between this business environment and the competent institutions – I mean everything related to gambling – control, taxation, monitoring, restrictions, responsible gaming, transparency, support from the authorities and, above all, how the public opinion takes this line of work, which has not had its fair share of promotion and its image might be now far away from truth. This world has been in a constant change since the Revolution – and this is where we are stepping in. We need to make sure that the change is being under control, using real data coming from the market, in compliance with all the principles and not based on false situations and information that has and still exists. The Association will stand for the qualified and well-trained – professionally speaking – variant for the entire range of activities. In other words, we will be the solution for the professional trening and the representation of all interests of the stakeholders in this industry.
How are you planning in maintaining contact with the gambling people, provided that only a teamwork turns into an efficient result in any business?
Communication is the key – through any channels, with everyone involved in the gambling industry in Romania. We will be functioning as a team you were talking about and, as I said earlier, it is the unity that is missing here.
What would be the greatest legal achievement so far in gambling?
I do not know whether it can be called a legal achievement, but the most important event by far in this sector is the establishment of the National Gambling Office, a structure ‚to monitor’ this industry, gathering together people who are very familiar and understand perfectly the gambling market, which is quite essential.
What are the legal drawbacks in Romania, compared to the international legislation in this business we call gambling?
We need to have a fair and unitary legislation to stimulate competition, a correct and unbiased monitoring, stability and predictability, without fearing that any investment could at any time be ‚nationalized’ by legal actions or by a biased behavior towards the state capital over the private one.
How do you see this industry in Romanian for the future, from a legal perspective? In the other countries, the gambling industry has the full support and attention from the authorities, since they have understood its financial importance. When do you think Romania will reach this condition?
My belief is that nice and beautiful things can be done in this sector and I am positive that we will gradually reach a professionalism level, similar to the overseas’. This is why we need the assistance from the National Gambling Office and a prompt and fair engagement from the representatives in this industry.
What are the tangible measures you will take so as to change the perception on gambling in our country?
RomBet will be that ‚refresh’ so much needed in the relations between the business environment of this sector, the competent institutions and the market that views us in a bad light. We will initiate targeted actions, focus on transparency, by presenting the information as fairly and detailed as possible.
The third edition of the Romanian Gambling Conference was held in March and in September the second edition of the ‚What’s the time…in gambling’ seminar will take place. These are two of the projects initiated by our publication, Casino Life & Business Magazine. What is your take on these events?
I have always acclaimed such initiatives, and my opinion is that they should happen more often. This is the only way we can pinpoint the problems that this sector has to deal with.
The National Gambling Office partnered with our magazine for the third edition of the Romanian Gambling Conference. So far, what do you think about the activity of this institution?
Since its establishment, the National Gambling Office has made all and every efforts to maintain a high level of professionalism in a rather intricate sector – and they have fulfilled their duties very well.
You are familiar with our magazine. What is your opinion and what else should it do to be more useful to the people in the gambling industry, either players, producers or operators?
I have known your publication for many years and I am very appreciative of it. I always find complete information and quite helpful in it. What else should it do? Nothing else, I really think that it is very good as is now
A few words for the readers of Casino Life & Business Magazine?
First of all, I will classify them into three categories: people who organize this industry, the players and the legal authorities. To the organizers, I tell them to go for a unity in ideas and communication, this is our key to success! For the players – you play, but responsibly! As for the authorities, keep the communication open, transparent, unbiased with this industry and everything will be fair for everyone involved. Good luck to all of you!
