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.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.
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 |
At IGA Group, we are committed to providing the best possible service to our clients, by using our wealth of experience and knowledge to maximise the potential of their business. We have years of experience in the gaming sector, both through previous employment with gaming companies, but also through software companies providing technical solutions and also through various consultancy engagements both at a strategic, operational and regulatory level.
Our expertise covers the whole spectrum of operator activities: legal, finance, operations, online gaming regulation, compliance, AML, technical, licensing, corporate, SEO, support, company formation, mergers and acquisitions and more.
Having assisted companies in obtaining gaming licences in Malta, UK, Romania and Curaçao, we pride ourselves for being one of Malta’s most experienced iGaming service providers.