In February 2020 Romanian gambling was governed by OUG 77/2009 and its norms in HG 111/2016, supervised by the National Gambling Office (ONJN), with online operators paying 16% of gross gaming revenue (GGR) and a minimum of €100,000 a year. The framework is the same statute today, but almost every number and several core rules have changed. Today a Class 1 online operator pays a flat €300,000 annual license fee and, since 1 August 2025 (Law 141/2025), 30% of GGR with a €480,000 minimum, and since OUG 82/2023 it must be established in Romania. This guide keeps the 2020 structure and states the current rule in each section. For the full cost register and the application route, see our Romania gambling license hub.
The market in 2020
Five years after the 2015 online reform, the market looked mature: 22 licensed online operators, more than 300 licensed B2B suppliers, over 270 slot-machine operators and 27 fixed-odds betting operators on land. Two recent fiscal changes stood out: a 2% monthly tax on online deposits, introduced by OUG 114/2018 from 1 January 2019, and a rise in the slot-machine authorization fee from €2,600 to €3,600 per machine.
Now. The ONJN registers list 28 Class 1 entries (92 domains) and 413 Class 2 entries held by 355 companies (as of 5 October 2026). The slot-machine authorization fee is €6,000 per machine under Law 141/2025.
What counts as gambling
OUG 77/2009 defines gambling by four cumulative conditions: a participation fee, a random outcome, a monetary prize, and an offer made to the public by an organizer. Land-based gambling uses equipment installed in Romania; remote gambling runs over the internet, fixed or mobile telephony or similar networks.
Online categories in 2020: fixed-odds, exchange and mutual betting; bingo (including keno); casino (including poker and slots); tombola. Lottery belonged to the state monopoly. Fantasy sports and social games were not expressly regulated and could fall outside the law if they did not meet all four conditions. Other games were assessed by ONJN on the rules submitted.
Land-based categories: betting; poker clubs; bingo in halls and through TV networks; casinos; three classes of gaming machines (unlimited stakes and winnings, limited-risk AWPs, and VLTs); tombola; temporary games in tourist resorts or on leisure craft under a three-month license; and poker festivals.
Now. The categories are the same in outline; the lottery remains a Class 3 state monopoly. Our post on which games of chance require a license covers the borderline cases.
The legislative framework
The 2020 framework consisted of OUG 77/2009; HG 111/2016; OUG 20/2013 on ONJN and HG 298/2013 on its organization; ONJN orders on certification, interconnection and reporting; and Law 129/2019 on AML, which transposed the Fourth AML Directive in July 2019.
Now. Add OUG 82/2023 and its approval law Law 107/2024 (licensing overhaul, fee annex, guarantees), Law 141/2025 (fees and winnings tax; see our analysis of gambling taxes in Romania in 2026), Law 239/2025, and OUG 7/2026 (local authorization of venues). For the audiovisual side, CNA Decision 573/2025 governs broadcast advertising.
Offenses and penalties
In 2020 the administrative offenses included letting players into land-based venues without valid ID, failing to pay winnings within three business days, and failing to notify ONJN of changes to licensing data. Operating without a license and authorization was a crime punishable by one month to one year in prison or a fine, with dissolution of the company and confiscation. Players using unlicensed sites faced fines of RON 5,000–10,000.
Now. The player fine is unchanged. Law 107/2024 added contraventions of RON 150,000–200,000 for letting an unlicensed entity conduct gambling, openly or in disguise, and for providing services to operators without a Class 1 license that accept Romanian players; in the second case the supplier’s Class 2 license is also revoked. The 2025 reform package also made contracting with unlicensed operators, and rewarding people for steering players to unauthorized platforms, criminal offenses.
Pending legislation (2020)
Three items were pending in February 2020: a new certification order for land-based slot machines, ONJN’s AML instructions, and a bill adding advertising restrictions and responsible-gambling duties. The AML instructions arrived as ONJN Order 370/2021, and advertising was tightened in stages from 2024. Proposals tabled in late 2025 to raise the minimum age to 21 and restrict online advertising are discussed in our post on 21+ access and the online ad blackout.
Licensing and regulatory framework
ONJN, a specialized body under the Government, grants licenses and authorizations and enforces the law. Its approach in 2020 was described as literal and prescriptive, and that remains true.
- Class 1 (B2C operators): license valid 10 years, plus an operating authorization renewed annually.
- Class 2 (B2B suppliers): manufacturers and distributors, software and platform providers, hosting, live-casino studios, test labs and auditors, payment processors and affiliates; valid 10 years with an annual fee.
- Class 3: the National Lottery’s monopoly, granted by law.
In 2020 any operator established in the EU, EEA or Switzerland could apply directly.
Now. Since OUG 82/2023 (art. 1(2) OUG 77/2009) the applicant must be a Romanian company or an EU/EEA/Swiss entity with a registered Romanian permanent establishment. Existing licensees had six months to comply. Suppliers apply under Class 2; see our Class 2 (B2B) license page.
Application requirements
Land-based licensing
A Class 1 license plus one authorization per activity, with corporate files, criminal records for directors and shareholders, and a UBO declaration (25% threshold in 2020). The authorization required game rules, premises layout, certified equipment and reporting to ONJN.
Now. Since OUG 7/2026 each venue also needs a local operating authorization from the council, which may ban gambling in its territory, set zones and charge an annual area-based fee. Venues are limited to localities above 15,000 inhabitants (Law 107/2024), and land-based operators other than casinos post a €1,000,000 guarantee (€3,000,000 for casinos).
Online licensing
One authorization covers all activities on one platform, which may run several domains. The system must be audited by a Class 2 test lab, and the software, RNG and RTP of each game certified. A server outside Romania requires a safety server and a mirror server in Romania. All of this still applies.
Timing
Files had to be complete nine business days before a Supervisory Committee meeting, generally held twice a month. The statutory 30-day decision period (art. 1(4)) still applies, with no tacit approval; in practice a Class 1 file takes about 12 weeks to decision.
Application fees
| Fee | 2020 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Online file analysis | €2,500 | €3,500 |
| Online license issuance | €8,500 | €10,500 |
| Land-based application | none | €600 license analysis, €250 authorization analysis |
Annual fees
| Item | 2020 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Online license fee | €6,000–120,000 by turnover | €300,000 flat |
| Online authorization fee | 16% of GGR, min €100,000 | 30% of GGR, min €480,000 |
| Online RG contribution | €5,000 | €500,000 |
| Class 2 license fee | €6,000 | €20,000 |
| Class 2 RG contribution | €1,000 | €15,000 |
| Land-based fixed-odds authorization | 16%, min €90,000 | 25%, min €240,000 |
| Slot machine (per machine) | €3,600 | €6,000 |
| Casino table, Bucharest / elsewhere | €60,000 / €30,000 | €70,000 / €40,000 |
| Casino / poker club entry ticket | RON 50 / RON 30 | RON 50 / RON 30 |
2026 figures: OUG 82/2023 Annex and art. 10, as amended by Law 141/2025. Online operators also post a guarantee of €2,000,000 (€5,000,000 for online casino).
Land-based premises
Casinos must be in business buildings or hotels of at least three stars. Betting agencies need at least one dependent terminal; slot halls must shield their interior from view and avoid gambling imagery outside. Since OUG 82/2023 a betting agency may host up to five slot machines, slot halls need at least 20 machines in Bucharest or 12 elsewhere, and neither may share an entrance with a shop selling alcohol.
Structure points
- Online B2C: the Romanian platform must serve every player with a Romanian IP and every Romanian citizen without foreign tax residence.
- B2B: licenses cover generic activities, not individual products.
- Affiliates: need a Class 2 license and must file their affiliation contracts with ONJN.
- White labels: not specifically regulated; since 2024, letting an unlicensed brand operate under your license is a contravention.
- Joint ventures: in 2020 allowed if one party held the license. Since Law 107/2024 only Class 1 and/or Class 2 licensees may operate jointly; see our post on gambling joint ventures.
- Blacklist: about 1,100 domains in 2020; 2,881 as of 25 September 2026. ISP fines were RON 50,000–100,000.
Responsible gambling
The 2020 duties were deposit limits (daily, weekly, monthly), temporary and permanent self-exclusion, a reality check every 60 minutes, and referral information for self-excluded players. Since OUG 82/2023 ONJN runs a national self-exclusion database (procedure in ONJN Order 79/2025), and the annual contributions are far higher: €500,000 for online Class 1 and €15,000 for Class 2.
Anti-money laundering
Law 129/2019 took full effect in January 2020 and requires customer due diligence, suspicious-transaction reporting to ONPCSB, written policies and record keeping. ONJN’s sector instructions are in Order 370/2021, and since May 2025 ONJN is the sole AML supervisor for gambling. Our compliance services cover the reporting calendar.
Advertising
In 2020 ONJN supervised advertising together with the CNA and ANPC. Ads had to show the 18+ warning, license series and number and ONJN logo; they could not be placed at schools, places of worship or social-cultural sites; online bonus advertising was limited to the operator’s site, licensed affiliates and opt-in emails; and TV gambling ads were allowed only after 11 pm, except betting ads during live sports.
Now. Law 107/2024 banned unsolicited electronic messages, advertising on sites hosting gambling platforms, and outdoor branding over 35 m² per panel. Since 7 October 2025 public figures and influencers may not appear in gambling ads, and CNA Decision 573/2025 sets the broadcast window.
Change of control
Any change in directors, shareholders, structure or beneficial owners must be notified to ONJN. The rule is unchanged, and new shareholders and administrators are vetted on the same fit-and-proper standard as at application.
Enforcement
ONJN may suspend, revoke or cancel licenses and impose fines, and refers suspected crimes to prosecutors. Fiscal penalties run through ANAF, backed by the operator’s guarantee. Law 141/2025 strengthened ONJN’s blacklist powers, including orders to search engines and social networks to take down illegal gambling promotion.
Tax
In 2020 Romanian-incorporated operators paid 16% profit tax, with a 5% floor on revenue for casino-type activities; EU-based online operators without a Romanian permanent establishment paid no Romanian corporate tax, and most online licensees were in that position.
Now. Every online licensee is taxable in Romania, either as a Romanian company or through its permanent establishment, at 16%. Gambling companies have been excluded from the micro-enterprise regime since 1 January 2023, and player winnings are withheld at 4%, 20% and 40% bands. The detail is in our post on Romanian gambling taxation.
