ONJN, the National Gambling Office, is an institution subordinated to the Romanian Government that has the right to regulate the gambling market in Romania.

The role of this institution is to authorise, control and monitor gambling activities in Romania. It was set up in 2013, but has been in charge since the second part of 2015.

What is the role of ONJN in Romania?

According to website casepariurionline.ro, until 2015 gambling enthusiasts in Romania could play at any operator, including foreign sites. Although there were many positives, a regulation of gambling in Romania was needed.

It was good that anyone had access to almost any site in the world and that there were no fees. On the downside, if there were problems with a bookmaker, then there was no institution to solve the gambler's problem.

Any online bookmaker could accept Romanian players if they wanted to, but many didn't really care about their needs. It was also bad for the Romanian State because the players did not pay any tax on their winnings.

Now things are different. In order for a gambling site to be able to offer services to customers in Romania, it is necessary to obtain an ONJN Class I license. The licence is first granted for one year (temporary licence), and then for 10 years (permanent licence).

Not only operators need licences, but also software platform providers or partners who promote agents. For each type of licence, operators must pay certain fees and comply with the laws in force in Romania, and the services offered must meet certain standards.

Conditions for obtaining a licence from the ONJN

As mentioned earlier in the article, it is absolutely necessary for a bookmaker to be licensed with the ONJN in order to operate.

This condition was imposed in 2015, so until then almost anyone could open an account on any online betting platform, and bookmakers did not pay anything to the National Agency for Fiscal Administration.

Well, with the introduction of this licence, only bookmakers who met the requirements to be able to obtain a Class I licence remained in the industry.

The conditions that these online bookmakers have to meet in order to receive a license are quite simple. Here is what they should do:

  • their online betting sites should be available in Romanian, so that they can be as easy as possible to use for Romanian punters
  • transactions, whether deposits, withdrawals or bets, should be made in the national currency
  • be subject to controls by the competent institutions
  • comply with Romanian legislation

What changes has ONJN produced?

Since the second part of 2015, things have changed radically in terms of online gambling in Romania, as the ONJN has fully come into its own.

Here in the following list are the main changes made in the online gambling industry:

  • game organizers must apply for a license to operate in our country. Initially a temporary license is granted (valid for one year), and then a permanent one (for 10 years)
  • operators must provide Romanian customers with a complete website in Romanian
  • licensed sites must offer the possibility to bet, deposit and withdraw in national currency (RON)
  • the organisers must stop at source two per cent tax on deposits and one per cent on withdrawals made by players, which they then transfer to the state budget
  • players are obliged to check their online gaming account within 30 days from the moment of the first deposit
  • customers who play on a site without an ONJN licence risk a fine of between RON 5,000 and RON 10,000

Disclaimer: Play responsibly. Players must be over 18. For help visit https://www.gamcare.org.uk

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