A Romanian bettor who claimed to have won €100,000 from approximately 300 betting slips ended up facing criminal charges after attempting to bribe a gambling regulator into helping him collect the money. The unusual case has now resulted in three guilty plea agreements, with all three men involved facing suspended prison sentences.
According to the Bucharest Tribunal Prosecutor's Office, the bettor had placed around 300 bets with an unnamed bookmaker and believed he was entitled to winnings totaling approximately €100,000. However, the betting operator refused to pay, arguing that the betting slips violated its rules. Instead of paying the disputed winnings, the bookmaker cancelled the bets and refunded the original stakes.
Unhappy with the decision, the bettor filed several complaints with Romania's National Gambling Office (ONJN), the country's gambling regulator. When those complaints failed to produce the outcome he wanted, he decided to try a different approach. Between August and September 2026, he contacted an ONJN inspector through two intermediaries who believed the official could influence the employees responsible for reviewing his complaints.
The proposed deal was straightforward: the inspector would help secure the €100,000 payout in exchange for a commission. During negotiations, one of the intermediaries suggested that a fee of up to 10% would be "honourable" and "reasonable." At a meeting on September 10, the bettor personally promised to pay the inspector €10,000 in two instalments, while his two associates offered to act as guarantors of the agreement.
There was just one problem: the inspector had already reported the attempted bribery to law enforcement authorities on August 5. What the bettor apparently saw as a way to recover his money had turned into a corruption investigation.
On October 22, Romanian prosecutors announced that all three men had entered into guilty plea agreements. The bettor was investigated for influence buying, while the two intermediaries were accused of assisting in the offence. Under the agreements, each man would receive a suspended prison sentence of 18 months, subject to a three-year supervision period, along with 60 days of community service. The agreements still require approval from the Bucharest Tribunal.
As Romanian broadcaster Digi24 reported, neither the bookmaker's identity nor the precise rule allegedly violated by the bettor has been disclosed. It also remains unclear whether the cancelled bets would otherwise have qualified for payment.
For now, the bettor has not recovered the disputed €100,000. Instead, his attempt to turn a gambling dispute into a six-figure payout has left him facing a criminal conviction if the court approves the agreement.
Published by Patrick Jane
23.10.2026