Altenar, a sportsbook software provider, are taking a look at how new-to-the-market operators and entrepreneurs can start an online gambling businessin Romania, fr om licensing to facts about sports betting, casino, poker and bingo in the landscape, to which gambling are legal within Romania.
Getting the right starting point in any iGaming space is important as it can set the tone of your future success and scalability overall. Altenar, a tier-one provider, not only has ample experience in global markets, its expertise in devising tailored-for-player-and-market sports betting solutions makes them the first port-of-call for operators looking for stability and flexibility in their betting offering.
Throughout this article you will be able to find must-know information on the Romanian market and what features and content Altenar has to offer that not only improves your business but the player experience as well.
Gambling Licence In Romania | Romania’s View To Offer Regulated Gaming
After issuing and editing a host of significant bills and laws around gambling businesses in Romania, the attitude and legality around gambling saw new regulations and procedures take place and form the current legal standing around gambling activities in Romania today.
At the time of writing this article, The public authority competent to supervise the Romanian gambling market is the National Gambling Office (ONJN), a specialised body of the central public administration subordinated to the Romanian Ministry of Finance, which has enforcement prerogatives and is also competent to grant licences and authorisations.
Online
Where the following sectors are marked as permitted, this means that the respective game or games of chance is/are permitted subject to obtaining the necessary licence and authorisation.
Betting
Betting activities are permitted under Romanian law, and the gambling legislation expressly regulates three types of online betting:
- fixed-odds betting;
- exchange betting; and
- mutual (pari-mutuel) betting
Bingo
Online bingo is permitted, and the online bingo licence also covers keno games.
Casinos
Online casinos are permitted, and the casino licence also covers online poker and online slot-machine gaming.
Lotteries
Online lottery games are restricted since this category falls under the monopoly of the Romanian National Lottery.
Fantasy Sports
Fantasy sports are not expressly regulated under Romanian gambling legislation. If this activity does not fulfil the mandatory conditions of gambling, then fantasy sports should fall outside the purview of the gambling legal framework.
Betting Licences in Romania | Ensuring Regulations Are Adhered To Through Report Building & Risk Management
As a sportsbook software provider, Altenar takes extra care to ensure that its products and services are compliant with local and geographical regulations, this means that operators harnessing Altenar’s award-winning product are able to keep operations above ground and produce some of the most revered content and features in the industry today.
In Romania, in-land betting via terminals or through bookies there is a legal requirement for venues and online operators to meet technical and electronic requirements. Altenar, a sportsbook software provider, offers its operators access to 24/7 risk management services inclusive of report building that is a designed-for-the-operator-and-regulator feature wh ere you can keep track of all things betting on your platform…
The conditions under which the organisation and operation of games of chance are permitted in Romania are outlined in the following normative acts:
- Government Emergency Ordinance No 77/2009 on the organisation and operation of games of chance (GEO 77/2009);
- Government Decision No 111/2016 for the approval of the methodological norms for the implementation of Government Emergency Ordinance No 77/2009 on the organisation and operation of games of chance (GD 111/2016);
- Government Emergency Ordinance No 20/2013 on the establishment, organisation and functioning of the National Gambling Office (Oficiul Național pentru Jocuri de Noroc, or ONJN); and
- Government Decision No 298/2013 on the organisation and functioning of the ONJN.
Gambling activities are also regulated by means of instructions, orders or decisions issued by the ONJN in relation to various aspects of gambling activity, such as:
- the certification of online gambling platforms;
- interconnection protocols and reporting requirements for slot machines; and
- reporting of the revenues obtained by both land-based and online operators.
Moreover, certain requirements in the AML field are also applicable to gambling activities, and were initially contained in Law 129/2019, which implements the Fourth and Fifth AML Directives. At the end of 2021, the gambling regulator issued the sectoral norms/instructions clarifying how the AML regime must be implemented specifically in the field of gambling. These came into force in January 2022.
Online Gambling Licence Romania | Knowing Your Gaming Landscape
Subject to licensing and authorisation requirements, online gambling licences in Romania are not only a hot commodity but one that has been hard earned by operators and providers in the space, due to the fact several technical and operational requirements must be met.
Romanian legislation regulates the following types of licences.
Class 1 licence and related authorisation(s) – these are the permits that must be obtained by a B2C operator in order to offer gambling services on the Romanian market (irrespective of whether it relates to land-based or online gambling).
Class 2 licence – this licence is required for B2B providers, specialising in the gambling industry, that supply products/services to B2C operators licensed in Romania; the categories of B2B suppliers for which the ONJN has issued Class 2 licences are as follows:
- manufacturers, distributors and other entities performing activities with gaming qualities or gaming components (note that this type of Class 2 licence is relevant for the land-based sector);
- software providers;
- providers of platform management and hosting services;
- providers of live casino streaming services;
- certification laboratories, auditors and conformity assessment bodies;
- payment processors; and
- marketing affiliates.
Class 3 licence – this licence is granted by the benefit of the law to the Romanian National Lottery, which has a legal monopoly over the organisation of land-based and online lottery games.
Altenar, a sportsbook software provider, is licensed and regulated in a host of EU countries, you can discover more about regulation, licensing and certification in Romania by contacting the tier-one provider today!
Gambling Activities Eligible for Licensing | An Informative At-A-Glance List
- Bingo
- Betting
- Casinos
- Lotteries
- Fantasy Sport
What Are The Annual Fees For Online Gambling Providers & Operators In Romania?
Annual Fees for Online Gambling
An operator of online gambling must pay an annual licence tax calculated by reference to the operator’s turnover, ranging from EUR15,600 per year (for an annual turnover of less than EUR500,000) to EUR312,000 per year (for a turnover exceeding EUR10 million).
The authorisation tax for online gambling is also paid on an annual basis and amounts to 23% of the income obtained from gambling activities (GGR), but cannot be less than EUR120,000 per year.
Online licensed operators are also required to pay an annual responsible gambling contribution of EUR5,000.
For the analysis of the documentation related to the integration or recertification of new online games, gambling operators must pay a new administrative tax of EUR150 per approval request (regardless of the number of games submitted for approval through the request) submitted to the gambling regulator.
Taxes for Licensed B2B Providers
B2B providers holding a Class 2 licence are obliged to pay an annual licence tax of EUR9,500 per licence and also a responsible gambling contribution of EUR1,000. The law simply stipulates that the contribution is EUR1,000, but in practice, the regulator imposes this contribution for each Class 2 licence held by the B2B supplier.
You can discover more about sportsbooks and entering the Romanian market by contacting Altenar, a sports betting solutions provider, today!
