Romania
The ONJN is responsible for authorising local gambling operators in Romania, but also for authorising all types of online gambling targeting Romanian players.

The main body in charge of gambling activities in Romania is the National Gambling Office (ONJN), established in April 2013. This office is responsible for authorizing operators that want to access the Romanian market and for enforcing regulations that need to be implemented by all local players. The present Romanian legislative framework for online gambling is subject to regulations passed in May 2015, when the previous legislation was amended in a way to be compliant with European Commission (EU) standards.

The ONJN is thus responsible for authorising local gambling operators in Romania, but also for authorising all types of online gambling targeting Romanian players. The Romanian regulator is responsible for:

  • regulation of traditional and online gambling;
  • implementation of the principles of responsible gambling;
  • protection of consumers and vulnerable groups;
  • curbing and stopping illegal activities – gambling fraud, identity theft, money laundering, illegal gambling and unauthorised gambling)

The activities for which an organisation licence and operating authorisation may be granted shall be as follows:

Traditional games
  • lotto games
  • betting activities, i.e. for any of the mutual betting activities, fixed-odds betting or counterparty bets
  • gambling activities characteristic of casinos
  • gambling activities characteristic of poker clubs
  • slot-machine activities carried out by means of electronic machines with winnings or by electronic devices at whichever to gain with limited risk
  • bingo activities carried out in game rooms
  • bingo activities organised through television network systems
  • temporary gambling activities, i.e. casino-like gambling activities, slot-machine or bingo gambling in halls, temporarily carried out in tourist resorts or on board recreational vessels, as well as gambling activities characteristic of poker festivals carried out in accommodation units within a predetermined period
  • raffle games
Remote games
  • lotto gaming activities
  • remote casino gambling activities, including slot games
  • fixed-odds betting carried out at a distance
  • remote mutual bets
  • bets on remote counterparty
  • bingo and keno remote games
  • raffle gambling
other gambling activities<
New games or combinations of activities as referred to in this Article.
Romania licence types
In Romania there are predominantly 2 types of licences available, since the 3rd type is restricted to lottery games which are run by the State Monopoly.

In order to operate in Romania, a gambling operator must apply for both a Class 1 Licence to organise games of chance, as well as one or several authorisations to operate/offer games.

 

In Romania, both B2C operators and B2B operators require a licence.

 

Class 1 Licence: Licence for Business to Consumer (B2C) operators who want to target the Romanian players.

Class 2 Licence:  Licence for Business to Business (B2B) operators, which include the provision of gaming software and its distribution, as well as providing game platform management and hosting facilities.

Categories of B2B suppliers that would need to obtain a licence by the ONJN include the following:

  • Software providers;
  • Marketing affiliates;
  • Certification labs;
  • Casino providers (including live casinos);
  • Platform management and hosting services;
  • Game manufacturing, production and delivery to B2Cs

Class 3 Licence: This licence covers the organisation and operation of lottery games, whether as land-based or online, and which are exclusively run by the State Monopoly of Romania, “Loteria Romana”.

To obtain a licence from the Romania, a company must be established with the EU, EEA or Swiss Confederation, and operators having game servers outside the Romanian territory must implement and install a mirror server in Romania, replicating the main gambling activity as required by ONJN.

In addition to this, operators targeting the Romanian players, must appoint a local representative, who would be the key person representing the operator with the Romanian authorities.

Class 1 operators can only obtain payment services from operators in possession of a Class 2 licence duly issued by the Romanian regulator, and all transactions need to take place through a Romanian bank account.

ROMANIA Administrative & Licence Fees
I. Gambling organizer’s license fees (annual):
Lottery games€115,000
Mutual betting€45,000
Fixed-rate betting€25,000
Counterpart betting€25,000
Games of chance characteristic of casinos€95,000
Games of chance characteristic of poker clubs€15,000
Slot machine-type games€20,000
Bingo games taking place in gambling halls€10,000
Bingo games of chance organized via television network systems€70,000

For remote games of chance, there are three categories:

1st Class Licence: This is granted to operators organizing remote games of chance, who have direct contracts with players, and is calculated according to the organizer’s turnover.

2nd Class Licence: for legal persons involved in the field of traditional and remote games of chance, as well as conformity evaluation bodies. This is subject to a fee of EUR 6000/ year.

3rd Class Licence: for the State monopoly remote games provided for in Article 10(1)(h) of the Emergency Ordinance.

Poker festivals€5,000
Temporary casino-type games (valid three months)€23,750
Temporary slot machine-type games (valid three months)€5,000
Temporary bingo-type games in halls (valid three months)€2,500
Tombola type of games – traditional game€5,000
Video lottery game – traditional game€50,000
II. Gambling operator’s authorization fees (annual):
Traditional lottery-type games:€180,000
Mutual betting – traditional: 16 % of the organizer’s income from games of chance, as defined in Article 11 of this Emergency Ordinance, but not less than:€90,000
Fixed-rate betting – traditional: 16 % of the organizer’s income from games of chance, as defined in Article 11 of this Emergency Ordinance, but not less than:€90,000
Counterpart betting – traditional: 16 % of the organizer’s income from games of chance, as defined in Article 11 of this Emergency Ordinance, but not less than:€90,000
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