Romania Jurisdiction profile

The gambling industry is alive and well in Romania, with the Oficiului National pentru Jocuri de Noroc in charge of overseeing the industry. The group is also known as the National Gambling Office (ONJN) and provides a quality market for players to enjoy online slots, table games, and more. The ONJN is responsible for the licensing process of online gambling operators and overseeing the industry. Romania has offered gambling for many years, beginning in the 1990s with the creation of land-based venues. Over the years, the industry evolved and by 2010, operators and providers of online casino gaming were allowed to bring services to residents of the country. Several ordinances were published at the time to modify and update gambling legislation. By 2014, changes were made to online gambling legislation to give international operators an opportunity to obtain licensing via the ONJN. Many operators decided to leave the market now that there was a structure in place, with fees and taxes associated with legal services. However, others decided to pay the price to offer gambling services to residents of Romania. The ONJN began accepting applications and those approved could easily offer online gaming services in the region. One reason why many companies opted out of licensing was a requirement for past tax payments. The new rules stated that any company remaining in operation that had offered services in the past would need to pay back taxes on online profits. The tax rate was set at 20% and payments could be due from as far back as 2009. The sheer amount that some companies would owe was astronomical and it left many operators with no choice but to remove services from the country. Operators interested in obtaining licensing in Romania can apply for a bingo license, casino games, poker, slots, or fixed odds sports betting license. In the beginning, several top-name operators were approved including 888, Betfair, and Unibet. At the same time, the ONJN decided to publish a blacklist that named hundreds of online gaming operators. These names were those who were considered to have illegally offered iGaming to players in Romania. Only online licensed foreign online gambling companies can offer services to players in Romania. The blacklist appears to have over 1,000 sites listed with internet service providers blocking access to those on the list. There are only around 25 approved sites that players can access. Current Romanian laws indicate that players who gamble with an unlicensed operator will face a minor fine. However, this type of law is hard to enforce due to the number of players who access unlicensed sites and the number of operators offering services to players in the area. Chances are slim that a Romanian player would be fined for placing a wager with an unlicensed platform. Online operators that are based in Romania, within the European Union, EEA, or Swiss Confederation can apply for a Class 1 license or Class 2. Sites that have been added to the blacklist and applied for services are only open for Class 1 gaming.