The Romanian Church Views Gambling as a “Family Disease”

The Romanian Orthodox Church does not limit itself to moral criticism of gambling. The rise in gambling addiction has demonstrated that it is not enough for the Church to simply declare that “gambling is a sin” or for a clergyman to urge a person “to stop.” Aggressive advertising, the easy accessibility of online betting, the proliferation of casinos, and poverty can very quickly drive a person to a state where they are unable to stop. Their family is shattered, and they are mired in debt—bank loans, payday loans, and hidden liabilities they cannot repay. The World Health Organization now lists suicide among the major health consequences of gambling; individuals with gambling disorder are prone to depression and face a risk of death by suicide that is approximately 15 times higher than average.

In 2026, the Church in Romania incorporated this issue into its general pastoral policy regarding the family (see here). Upon designating 2026 as the Year of Pastoral Care for the Christian Family, Romanian Patriarch Daniel identified gambling—particularly the excessive promotion of online gambling—as one of the new addictions affecting young people, describing it as a “social scourge.”

He called for the Church to expand counseling and support programs for families in distress during 2026, stating: “We do not simply tell the addict to stop playing; we help them become capable of stopping.” First, the Church became involved in developing the national policy against gambling addiction. In June 2025, representatives of the Romanian Patriarchate’s “Philanthropy” Federation and Archimandrite Cassian Filip—a qualified addiction counselor—participated in a roundtable at the Romanian Senate during the presentation of the “National Strategy for the Prevention and Treatment of Gambling Addiction.” The forum was organized in collaboration with the Senate, the National Gambling Office, and the state agency responsible for drugs and addictions.

On April 27, 2026, the Romanian Patriarchate issued a special statement regarding gambling. It noted that addiction is not merely a behavioral issue but a “complex disorder” linked to neuroplastic changes and disruptions in brain systems similar to those found in substance addictions. The Church highlighted severe financial losses, the breakdown of family relationships, social marginalization, and even cases of suicide. The Patriarchate called upon the state and society to develop policies that curb addiction and provide concrete assistance to addicts and their families.

The most significant institutional measure taken by the Church is the training of professional addiction counselors, including priests. Since 2020, an accredited “Addiction Counselor” course has been operating under the auspices of the Romanian Patriarchate’s “Philanthropy” Federation. By January 2026, more than 500 people had completed the program. The training program spans 180 hours—comprising 60 hours of theory and 120 hours of practical work in specialized centers—and covers issues such as alcohol and drug addiction, gambling, digital addictions, and more. Participants are trained to recognize addiction, counsel the addicted individual and their loved ones, work within multidisciplinary teams, facilitate referrals for treatment, and engage in prevention efforts. The trainees include priests, psychologists, social workers, teachers, doctors, and nurses. Each diocese strives to have at least a few trained clergy members.

Additionally, church-run centers have been established in several dioceses to treat gambling addiction alongside other forms of dependency. The network within the Metropolis of Moldavia and Bukovina is particularly well-developed. The “St. Apostle Andrew” Center in Botoșani works with individuals struggling with addictions to gambling, drugs, alcohol, and other compulsive behaviors. In Iași, the “St. Paraskeva” Center and the “St. Maximilian” CORA Orthodox Center for Addiction Recovery are in operation, with similar facilities located in Piatra Neamț and Târgu Neamț. The director of the Târgu Neamț center warns that when priests view an addicted person with judgment, that individual begins to avoid the Church precisely when they are in greatest need of help.

The “St. Maximilian” Center offers both day-care and residential services, including an eight-bed inpatient unit. It explicitly accepts individuals with gambling addictions. The program director, Fr. Julian Negru defines gambling addiction as a rapidly growing problem and emphasizes that the addiction should be viewed as a “family disease”: recovery is not limited to stopping the behavior but involves addressing trauma, domestic relationships, and codependent loved ones.

Another example is the “St. Dimitrie Basarabov” program in Cluj, established back in 2000 under the auspices of the Archdiocese of Cluj. It operates two licensed centers and employs an integrative bio-psycho-socio-spiritual approach, incorporating individual counseling, therapeutic groups, and 12-step communities. The program has also expanded its scope to address gambling and betting.

A specific measure addressing gambling is the Church’s support for the proven “Gamblers Anonymous” mutual aid model and community-based recovery. The “Minune” Gamblers Anonymous group operates in Botoșani, while the “Life Without Gambling” group operates in Iași. In July 2026, the two groups marked five and three years of existence, respectively, with a national gathering at the “Veniamin Costachi” Orthodox Seminary at Neamț Monastery. Approximately 120 individuals struggling with addiction and their loved ones from across the country participated, alongside psychotherapists, physicians, psychologists, priests, and addiction counselors. Vicar Bishop Nichifor of Botoșani celebrated the Divine Liturgy and held an open discussion with the participants.

Targeted prevention initiatives for students are being conducted across various dioceses. In 2024, the “St. Apostle Andrew” Center in Botoșani, in collaboration with the County School Inspectorate, launched a large-scale campaign reaching around 3,000 high school students in Botoșani, Flămânzi, and Vorona. The topics covered include both substance addictions and behavioral addictions—specifically, gambling. These meetings are not merely lectures: a specialist explains the mechanics of addiction, followed by a person in recovery sharing their personal story, after which students can ask questions.

All these initiatives demonstrate that the Romanian Church views gambling addiction not simply as a “sin” to be condemned in a sermon from the pulpit or—much more rarely—during confession, but as a serious personal and societal illness. The Church’s active involvement in the collective effort to help these individuals and mitigate this social evil reflects a genuine pastoral commitment and concern for the family.