Short answer
Szilaghi Consulting provides gambling consulting services to online and land-based operators, B2B suppliers, affiliates, payment providers and investors: jurisdiction strategy, license applications in 23 jurisdictions, legal advice on Romanian law through our in-house lawyers (avocați), corporate and tax structuring, AML, responsible-gambling and GDPR compliance, banking and payments, and local representation after grant. The first assessment is free; projects run on fixed fees per scope.
Market entry and jurisdiction strategy
Which license, in which order, for which markets. We compare regimes on what they cost every year, what they tax, how long they take, what they demand on the ground and how banks and platforms treat them — then tell you which one fits this year and what to add next.
Deliverable: Written fit memo and a year-one cost model per jurisdiction.
Business model and business plan
Regulators read your business plan as evidence of viability and of where the money comes from. We build it to their checklist: three-year projections reconciled to source of funds, the tax stack modeled against realistic GGR, and the break-even point where minimum taxes stop biting.
Deliverable: Regulator-grade business plan and financial model.
Regulatory strategy and legal advice
Our in-house lawyers are avocați, members of the Romanian Bar under Law no. 51/1995, and advise directly on Romanian gambling, corporate and regulatory law: license class and scope, B2B versus B2C classification, affiliate and supplier status, advertising and bonus rules. For other jurisdictions we coordinate licensed local counsel.
Deliverable: Legal opinions and regulatory position papers.
License applications — online and land-based
B2C and B2B applications in 23 jurisdictions, from Romanian ONJN Class 1 and Class 2, Malta and the Isle of Man to Curaçao, Anjouan, Nevis, Ontario and Peru. In Romania we also handle land-based licensing: casinos, slot-machine halls, betting shops, bingo and poker clubs, with the per-location authorizations they need.
Deliverable: Filed application, regulator correspondence and grant.
Corporate, tax and substance structuring
The entities under the license, built to pass the regulator, the bank and the tax authority at the same time: operating and holding companies, permanent establishments, IP and royalty flows, cross-border VAT on B2B game supply, and real substance where the regime requires it.
Deliverable: Incorporated entities, substance plan and structure memo.
Payments, banking and treasury
Banking delays more launches than regulators do. We prepare the underwriting file — structure, beneficial owners, source of funds, projected flows, compliance model — and introduce you to banks, EMIs, acquirers and PSPs that work with your license and markets.
Deliverable: Bank-ready compliance pack and managed introductions.
Technology and supplier selection
Platform, aggregator, game studios, live casino, hosting and mirror servers, testing laboratories: we check that every supplier holds the authorization your regulator requires, that certificates arrive when the file needs them, and that the architecture meets local reporting rules.
Deliverable: Supplier register, certification plan and technical file.
Compliance programmes
AML/CFT risk assessments and procedures, KYC and source-of-funds controls, responsible gambling and self-exclusion integration, advertising and bonus compliance, GDPR records and policies — written so the regulator accepts them and your team can actually run them.
Deliverable: Policy suite mapped to the regulator's checklist, plus training.
Authorized representation for foreign operators
Where a regime requires a local representative, we act for you before the regulator, the tax authority and the data-protection authority: filings, queries, technical and financial audits, and the monthly reporting calendar. In Romania we act as the authorized representative that non-resident Class 2 licensees must have, and also provide the local director for Class 1 and Class 2 licensees.
Deliverable: Named representative and monthly filings handled.
Due diligence, M&A and license transfers
For investors, acquirers and sellers of licensed businesses: regulatory due diligence, red-flag reports, change-of-control approvals, and the sale of licensed companies as going concerns.
Deliverable: Red-flag report, approval plan and closing support.
Regulator findings and challenges
Responses to inspection findings, refusals, sanctions and suspensions. Where Romanian law applies, our lawyers handle administrative complaints and challenges; elsewhere we work with local litigation counsel.
Deliverable: Response strategy, submissions and remediation plan.
Verticals and business models we advise
| Vertical | Typical routes |
|---|---|
| Online casino and live casino | Class 1 Romania, Malta Type 1, Curaçao, Anjouan, Nevis, Ontario |
| Sports betting | Online and retail; fixed-odds, pool and exchange models |
| Poker and bingo | Peer-to-peer and network models, land-based clubs and halls |
| Slot machines and land-based casinos | Romanian land-based licenses and per-location authorizations |
| Lottery | Advice on state monopolies (Romania, Bulgaria, Chile) and permitted private formats |
| Esports and fantasy | Classification and licensing where offered as betting or skill games |
| Game studios, platforms, aggregators | B2B licenses — Romania Class 2 at €35,000 a year, Malta critical supply, Anjouan B2B |
| Affiliates and payment providers | Supplier licensing in regulated markets, PSP structuring |
How you can engage us
Free
Fit assessment
A 20-minute call and a written first read: which license, what it costs in year one, what could stop it.
Fixed fee per scope
Fixed-scope project
A license application, a structure or a compliance programme, priced in writing before work starts and paid in stages.
Monthly
Monthly retainer
Representation, local director, regulatory reporting, compliance reviews and rule-change monitoring after grant.
Per transaction
Transaction support
Due diligence, change-of-control approvals and the sale or purchase of licensed companies.
Why operators choose us
- On the ground in Romania. We act as representative and local director for foreign ONJN licensees and file their monthly reports, so our advice reflects how ONJN applies the rules.
- Lawyers in the team. Romanian legal advice comes from our in-house avocați, not a separate firm you have to brief.
- We screen before we file. Fit-and-proper and source-of-funds problems are found in week one, not by the regulator.
- One team for every workstream. License, structure, compliance and banking tell the same story.
- Fixed scopes. Fees agreed in writing before work starts.
A few numbers
- Founder licensing since
- 2004
- Jurisdictions covered
- 23
- Romania Class 2, per year
- €35,000 statutory, 2–3 months
- Romania Class 1 online floor
- €1,280,000 a year
- Written first read
- within 1 business day
How an engagement runs
- Week 0
Fit assessment
Call and written memo: the license that fits, year-one cost, risks. Free.
- Week 1
Scope and fixed proposal
Deliverables, timetable and fees in writing; NDA first if you want one.
- Weeks 1–8
Build the file
Structure, screening, compliance documents, technical certification, banking pack — in parallel.
- Filing
Regulator dialogue
Submission, clarification rounds and grant, with one named contact throughout.
- After grant
Keep it in good standing
Representation, reporting, renewals and rule-change monitoring on a monthly retainer.
Gambling consulting — FAQs
How do I choose a consultant for a Romanian gambling license?
Look for written evidence, not promises: the correct ONJN license class, a check of your applicant structure, the full first-year budget including guarantees and recurring taxes, an auditable dossier and a plan for what happens after grant. No adviser can guarantee approval. See how to choose a Romanian gaming license consultant.
What does a gambling consultant do?
A gambling consultant chooses the right license for your markets, prepares and files the application, builds the corporate, tax and compliance structure the license depends on, opens the banking and payment relationships, and keeps the license in good standing after grant. We also give legal advice on Romanian law through our in-house lawyers.
How much do gambling consulting services cost?
The first assessment is free. After that we work on fixed fees per defined scope, agreed in writing before work starts, or on a monthly retainer for representation and reporting. Government and regulator fees are separate and are passed through at cost — see each jurisdiction guide for those figures.
Which gambling license is best?
It depends on where your players are and which payment partners you need. Anjouan and Nevis launch fastest; Curaçao is widely used offshore; Malta, the Isle of Man and Romania open tier-one banking; regulated markets such as the UK, Romania and Ontario require their own license. Our register compares all 23.
Do you work with land-based gambling businesses?
Yes, particularly in Romania: casinos, slot-machine halls, betting shops, bingo and poker clubs, including the per-location authorizations and inspections they require.
Can you guarantee a license or a bank account?
No one can — regulators and banks decide. What we do is screen the file before it is filed and decline mandates that will not pass, because a refused application stays on the record.
Do you work outside Romania?
Yes. Romania is our home jurisdiction, and we work across 23 regimes in the EU, the UK and Crown dependencies, the Caribbean, Canada and Latin America.
Start with a free fit assessment
Tell us your markets, products and where you are now. You will get a written first read within one business day.
Book a free fit call