Romania Gambling Regulation

Romania is a country in Southeastern Europe with a population of 19.4 million nationals as of 2019. A member of the EU since 2007, Romania has witnessed a steady economic growth since then, which has earned it the nickname “the Tiger of Eastern Europe”. Living standards have been consistently improving in the country although it still has issues related to corruption, education, and infrastructure.

The roots of the country’s gambling industry can be traced to the early 20th century and the creation of the national lottery. Loteria Romana was established in 1906 and continues to operate to this day, offering number draws online and offline.

Romania was part of the Soviet Union from 1947 to 1989, during which period all forms of gambling were prohibited. Landbased gambling became legal again after the fall of the communist regime, which brought about the launch of the first new casino in 1991.

The gambling industry continued to thrive on Romanian soil over the following decades, with the turnover of gaming operators reaching RON9.11 billion in 2018. At the moment of writing, both landbased and virtual forms of gambling are legal in Romania. Either way, operators require authorization from the Romanian authorities before they can legally offer their products to local gamblers.

The forms of gambling allowed in the country include casino gaming, poker, slot machines, video lotteries, bingo, sports betting, regular lotteries, and keno. All of these activities are subject to the regulatory scope of the Romanian National Gambling Office (ONJN), which is tasked with the license issuance and the enforcement of the country’s gambling laws.

Laws Governing Gambling in Romania

Government Emergency Ordinance no. 77/2009 (GEO No. 77/2009) is the primary legislation that governs legal gambling activities on the territory of Romania. It states that the operation and organization of gambling activities in the country is a state monopoly. However, the government can grant the right to offer such games based on licenses for each type of gambling activity.

The legislation governs all allowed forms of gambling, both landbased and online, including lotteries, sports wagering (fixed-odds and mutual betting), casino games like roulette, blackjack, and craps, poker, slot machines, bingo, keno, and tombolas (sweepstakes). Social games are not expressly regulated under Romanian law.

GEO no. 77/2009 contains a legal definition of chance games. Such products must cover several characteristics including participation fees, random outcomes, monetary prizes, and public availability. This piece of legislation also governs remote chance games – private operators can apply for and receive Romanian licenses as long as they meet the requirements of the local gambling regulator.

Under Romanian law, the payment solutions implemented by licensed remote gambling companies, cards included, must be operated via payment processors authorized by ONJN. Players’ funds must be deposited into bank accounts at banks located on the territory of the country.

Locally licensed gambling sites must contain information about the games’ rules, the betting limits, and the payouts in the Romanian language. Article 7 (1) states that players who participate in chance-based games must be of legal age, i.e. at least 18 years old. Underage access to gambling products is strictly forbidden by Romanian law.

Respectively, people are not allowed to partake in traditional chance-based games in landbased casinos unless they provide a valid document for identification. Licensed operators are required to pay out players’ winnings within a period of three days under Article 8 (2) of GEO No. 77/2009.

Other than that, gambling operators must comply with the local Fiscal Code (Law No, 227/2015) and the Fiscal Procedure Code (Law No. 207/2015). The National Gambling Office is authorized to regulate gambling services under the provisions of Government Decision No. 298/2013.

Types of Licenses

Article 10 (2) expressly stipulates that it is mandatory to possess a license before one can provide gambling games to Romanian residents. Two types of licenses are available, namely Class 1 and Class 2. Class 1 licenses are issued by the National Gambling Office to business-to-consumer (B2C) companies that specialize in the provision and supply of gambling products. Class 2 permits are granted to business-to-business (B2B) gambling operators that offer said products.

Players from Romania who seek to gamble at locally licensed websites can find a complete list of authorized business-to-consumer operators on the official website of the National Gambling Office. The local regulator also offers extensive information about its business-to-business licensees, which can be found here. The regulatory body runs a blacklist of unlicensed gambling businesses and updates it regularly.

License Requirements and Restrictions

Restrictions on Landbased Gambling Operations

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License Requirements and Restrictions

Authorized operators can offer various online gambling products with a single license. For example, if a company meets the requirements and receives a permit, it can offer both virtual slot games and online poker via the same platform. This is not the case with terrestrial casinos and poker rooms. They require separate permits for each location where their operations are conducted.

Individual authorization is required for each slot machine. There is also a requirement on the minimum of slot machines on offer. One and the same organizer should operate no fewer than 75 machines. Other than that, the licensing process is pretty straightforward in Romania. Interested operators must submit their documents for assessment on behalf of the National Gambling Office. There is no need for the applicants to be physically present in front of the watchdog.

In the instance of brick-and-mortar gambling licenses, a commission with representatives of the Romanian Ministry of Interior and the Gambling Office must inspect the venue on spot before an applicant’s documents are put forward for evaluation. The purpose of the inspection is to ensure the venue meets all regulatory requirements.

With that said, not everyone can apply for gambling permits in Romania. Class 1 applicants must be based in the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA), or Switzerland. Remote gambling operators whose main servers are not located in the country are not eligible for permits from the Romanian regulator.

Another condition requires them to set up accounts with local banks and conduct payments only with processors that hold Class 2 licenses. Online operators are permitted to offer only games powered by Class 2 licensed software providers. Each applicant must also appoint a representative from the country to act on their behalf in front of Romania’s regulator.

Restrictions are in place when it comes to advertising online casino bonuses and other promotions. Approved online operators can advertise their services on limited channels, which include their own domains or via the websites of affiliates who have obtained Class 2 licenses.

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Restrictions on Landbased Gambling Operations

In 2020, the Romanian government issued Ordinance No. 1088/1910/2020 which applies solely to landbased gambling halls and includes restrictive measures in light of the coronavirus outbreak. The measures aim to protect public health. Some of the gaming machines and tables at the premises must be moved or removed entirely to ensure the distance between patrons is at least a meter and a half.

Distancing panels may have to be installed in some cases. Visitors who have already finished playing or have no intention to play at all are disallowed from loitering on the gaming floor. Restrictions are also in place for the maximum of players allowed on the floor at the same time.

Each landbased gambling location should permit no more than one person per every 4 square meters. Patrons who show symptoms of being infected, such as coughing or having a body temperature over 37.3 degrees Celsius, should be denied access to the gambling premises.

Gambling Advertising Policies in Romania

The Romanian authorities take players’ well-being seriously, which is why they impose a variety of restrictions on the advertising of gambling products and services. For example, online gambling operators are strictly prohibited from spamming their customers with messages that contain information about chance-based games, especially when an unlimited number of recipients is targeted.

Players who have self-excluded from a given online casino cannot receive any marketing materials. Advertising unlicensed gambling services is also against Romanian law and so is placing marketing materials in the proximity of schools, socio-cultural, and religious institutions.

The Romanian regulator has published a set of guidelines on the responsible advertising of gambling services and products. Known as the Code of Ethics, the publication has no regulatory nature. Rather, licensed operators should embrace the policies outlined there voluntarily in the interest of the social good.

As for advertising via channels like television or radio, operators are recommended to refrain from doing it during periods when their commercials can be seen (or heard) by children. Many local broadcasters voluntarily stopped showing such commercials between 7:00 am and 11:00 pm after the National Audiovisual Council slammed several stations in 2017 for airing gambling-related commercials within this timeframe.

An exception is made for online gambling advertising during live sports events. It resulted from the Audiovisual Council announcing Decision no. 614/2019 and more specifically, Article 89 which stipulates audiovisual programs containing chance games must comply with the general requirements for the protection of underage persons.

Who Regulates the Gambling Sector in Romania?

Both terrestrial and virtual gambling operators in Romania must satisfy the regulatory requirements of the National Gambling Office (Oficiul Național pentru Jocuri de Noroc). Established under Government Emergency Ordinance no. 20/2013, the Office is subordinated to the local government, and more specifically to the Romanian Ministry of Public Finance.

The National Gambling Office oversees all regulated forms of online gambling in the country, including slots, house-banked table games, poker, sports betting, bingo games, and lotteries. The entity was founded to improve gambling regulations in the country and adapt them to the changes in the industry.

Apart from licensing, oversight, and ensuring social responsibility, the Gambling Office has the mandate to combat unauthorized gambling. The entity achieves this by detecting and sanctioning unlicensed operators who target the Romanian market.

The regulator has drawn up a list of all locally licensed operators and updates it frequently. Also available on ONJN’s website is a blacklist of all gambling sites that are currently blocked in the country due to lack of authorization.

The regulator has the power to order local Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block the access to such sites. The same applies to payment processors, which are required to block the transactions to and from such websites. The provision of unauthorized gaming is a criminal offense under Romanian law.

Participating in such activities is a minor offense. The worst that could happen is being charged with a fine between RON5,000 and RON10,000 although gamblers are rarely prosecuted for betting at unlicensed sites. At the moment of writing, the blacklist includes over 1,300 banned operators although this number is likely to increase as ONJN adds more unauthorized sites in the future.

Closing Thoughts

Romania has witnessed dramatic progress when it comes to gambling regulations. The local industry is a far cry away from the chaos of the early 2000s thanks to the enactment of Government Emergency Ordinance no.77/2009, which established a regulatory framework all licensed operators must abide by. The legislative landscape may further change in the future. A proposal amending the current law was submitted to the country’s parliament in the fall of 2020.