How to Start an Online Casino in Romania: Legal, Technical and Business Guide

Romania presents a compelling case in Eastern Europe’s iGaming landscape – well-regulated, accessible, and increasingly attractive to operators. Rather than shielding its market behind exclusive licences or protectionist models, it adopts a criteria-based approach: any EU-registered company may enter, provided it meets a defined set of technical and legal conditions.

Whether you are targeting Romania directly or including it in a wider licensing agenda, this article covers everything you need to launch a fully compliant iGaming business.

Key Insights:

• How Romania’s gambling licence system works and which type suits your business.
• The real cost of entry, including licence fees, taxes, and compliance spend.
• Who your players are: insights into Romania’s growing online gambler base.
• Which verticals are winning, from sports betting to classic slots.
• Technical compliance essentials like mirror servers, RNG certification, and KYC/AML.
• Which payment methods are legal and preferred by Romanian players.

Is Online Gambling Legal in Romania?

Yes, and it is not just legal, but well-regulated. Romania operates under a dedicated licensing system overseen by the National Gambling Office (ONJN). The framework covers all major verticals – online casinos, sports betting, poker, bingo, and beyond – ensuring the market remains compliant and transparent.

Romania’s regulatory architecture for gambling was laid out in 2009 and further formalised through technical provisions introduced in 2016. In the years that followed, particularly 2022 through 2024, the framework evolved through a series of policy refinements, encompassing stricter controls, revised fiscal instruments, and an expanded scope of compliance obligations for both B2C and B2B stakeholders.

Romania’s iGaming Market Overview

Romania is a mature iGaming market with over a decade of regulation and a firm spot on Europe’s gambling map, backed by a population of nearly 19 million and strong digital connectivity.

While regulation laid the groundwork, the turning point came in 2021, when UEFA Euro 2021 catalysed a 90% surge in online gambling activity. What might have been a temporary spike instead became a sustained climb. By 2024, Romania’s online segment generated €752.8 million, and by 2029, the market is forecast to reach just under €1 billion, fuelled by a 5.6% compound annual growth rate (CAGR).

In short, momentum, regulation, and digital reach are working in sync.

Popular Types of Online Gambling in Romania

Considering the above, it’s entirely consistent – not surprising – that the Romanian audience favours sports betting, with the segment accounting for approximately 58% of the online gambling market in 2025. Football (soccer) has a major impact, but Romanian bettors also show strong interest in tennis, rugby, and even gymnastics.

To meet this demand, the SOFTSWISS Sportsbook, certified for use in Romania, offers full ONJN compliance, live betting, and integration with local payments.

Online casino games make up around 36% of the market, with Romanian players showing a clear preference for classic-style slots. Fruit-themed, retro-style games mirror the land-based machines familiar to many local players, making them a smart choice for operators seeking to build loyalty and engagement.

Poker holds a niche but stable share (roughly 2%), while live casino formats – blackjack, roulette, and wheel-based game shows – are steadily gaining popularity.

Demographics and User Behaviour

In 2025, around 2.4 million Romanians gamble at least once a year, with 1.5 million participating online. Weekly engagement sits at around 8% of the adult population. The most active group are young, single men aged 18-24, typically living in urban areas and earning an average monthly household income of approximately €562.

Desktops still have a role but they are no longer driving the trend. Mobile betting apps are where the growth is. Romania’s digital evolution is pushing players toward faster access, cleaner interfaces, and games that move with them.

Gambling Licences in Romania

Romania’s iGaming market operates on a principle of controlled openness. Both domestic and international operators may participate, but only through the national licensing framework. The only exception is the lottery sector, which remains a state monopoly operated solely by the Romanian National Lottery under a Class III licence.

Foreign licences – regardless of jurisdiction – are not recognised. By 2025, more than 30 B2C operators held active licences.

Both Class I and Class II licences are valid for 10 years, but require annual renewals and payment of associated fees.

Operating without an ONJN licence isn’t just a regulatory slip-up – it’s a criminal offence. Romanian law leaves no room for grey areas: offering unlicensed gambling can lead to steep fines, jail time, and even confiscation of earnings. To curb illegal activity, the ONJN publishes a public blacklist of unauthorised gambling websites and collaborates with internet service providers to block access.

Who Can Apply for a Romanian Gambling Licence?

Eligibility begins with legal registration. To apply, a company must be established in the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA), or Switzerland. This is a fixed condition of entry – entities based outside these jurisdictions are not eligible under Romanian law.

If you are not Romanian but fall within the accepted zone, there’s one more step: you will need a local branch or permanent establishment for tax purposes. This ensures operation is both visible to the regulator and tax-compliant.

It is common for foreign operators to set up a Romanian subsidiary or appoint a fiscal representative. In addition, the company must meet key eligibility standards:

• A clean legal record (no criminal convictions for key personnel)
• Proven financial stability
• Technical documentation for the proposed operation
• Background checks and full financial disclosures
• Certification from an ONJN-approved testing lab
• Approved software stack 

The application process typically takes between two and four months, though the exact timeline depends heavily on how precise and complete the documentation is. With local expertise, the process tends to unfold more smoothly and predictably.

Licence Types, Costs and Government Fees

Launching an online casino in Romania comes with considerable financial requirements:

Compliance Requirements for Romanian Online Casinos

Local Server Infrastructure

Romanian law mandates that all gambling data must be accessible to ONJN in real time. This requires a mirror server located within Romania, replicating:

• Game logs and RNG output
• Betting records and transaction trails
• Financial data

Even if your core infrastructure is EU-based, local mirroring is essential for uninterrupted compliance and audit-readiness.

Use of Certified Suppliers

Perhaps the most uncompromising element of Romania’s regulatory model is its demand for licensed interdependence. Operators must only work with ONJN-approved partners at every level of their business – from the platform and hosting provider to the payment processor, game studios, RNG providers, and even affiliate marketing networks. There are no exceptions.

Global recognition alone is insufficient: even internationally trusted testing labs like GLI, eCOGRA, and iTech Labs must first obtain a Romanian Class II licence before their certifications are considered valid.

Before onboarding any supplier, check their status through the official ONJN registry. Non-compliant partnerships aren’t just risky – they are disqualifying.

The SOFTSWISS Casino Platform, Game Aggregator, and Sportsbook are fully compliant with Romanian regulations and certified for use under the ONJN Class II framework.

Player Integrity & Risk Management

Regulatory compliance in Romania is not defined by isolated controls – it is assessed by how well those controls work together. Player safety, financial transparency, and behavioural accountability are enforced through a layered system: KYC to verify identity, AML to monitor financial legitimacy, and Responsible Gambling (RG) to prevent harm.

Know Your Player (KYC)

At the foundation of Romania’s regulatory model lies a clear directive: operators must be able to verify not just who is playing, but that they are legally entitled to play. The system must support:

• Identity and age verification during registration and before withdrawals
• Encrypted upload and secure storage of personal documents
• Account restriction for unverified players
• Prevention of duplicate registrations (one player = one account)

This foundational layer satisfies the ONJN’s entry requirements and anchors all subsequent monitoring.

Customer Due Diligence (CDD) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML)

Once a player has passed initial identity checks, the task shifts from verifying who they are to understanding how they behave financially. This is the second layer of compliance: Customer Due Diligence (CDD) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML). If KYC confirms legitimacy at entry, CDD and AML sustain it across time:

• Monitoring player activity continuously, adjusting risk classifications as patterns shift
• Flagging high-risk behaviour, including unusually large deposits, volatile wagering patterns, or activity inconsistent with player profile
• Initiating source-of-funds checks when deposits or withdrawals raise concerns
• Running real-time anomaly detection, using predefined thresholds and behavioural indicators
• Filing Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) with Romania’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU)
• Maintaining a documented AML policy, and appointing a designated AML Officer

Responsible Gambling Measures

While AML frameworks are designed to prevent external threats – money laundering, criminal finance – Responsible Gambling addresses a different category of risk: harm to the player themselves. It is not a legal shield, but a behavioural safeguard. And it is no less binding.

Romanian regulation treats RG as a parallel obligation to AML. Both require monitoring. Both require intervention. The difference lies in the outcome: AML leads to reporting, RG leads to responsible action within the platform. Operators must implement the following RG controls:

• Deposit limits, configurable on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis
• Self-exclusion mechanisms, both temporary and indefinite
• In-game messaging to promote self-awareness and inform players of session time or spending
• Direct links to certified national support services for gambling addiction and behavioural counselling

Platform Security and Fair Play Standards

Where auditability ensures operational transparency, security safeguards protect the legitimacy of the system itself. Romanian law requires not only that games function correctly, but that they can be demonstrated to do so – continuously, and without exception:

• Encryption of all sensitive player data
• Protected infrastructure, including secured servers – a separate safe server may be required to store sensitive information – ID documents, payment details, and personal data
• Anti-fraud and anti-collusion systems, particularly for peer-to-peer environments such as poker, where coordinated play is a critical risk vector
• A game monitoring framework capable of confirming the integrity of RNG output, validating payout calculations, and detecting manipulation attempts

Increasingly, operators are adopting provably fair technologies – mechanisms that allow players and regulators to independently verify that game outcomes have not been tampered with. While not explicitly required, such systems reflect the regulator’s core expectation: that fairness must be technically demonstrable, not assumed.

Accepted Payment Methods in Romania

Player payment preferences in Romania reflect a hybrid ecosystem – global in interface, local in execution. Commonly used methods span international brands and domestic solutions, but all must operate within the country’s licensed framework:

Local Banks, Cards, and EWallets

Operators are required to work exclusively with Class II ONJN-licensed Payment Service Providers (PSPs). These providers ensure secure processing, RON settlement, and regulatory transparency.

Commonly accepted methods:

• Visa / MasterCard
  Widely used for both deposits and withdrawals. Must be routed through licensed PSPs such as:
  • Nuvei
  • SafeCharge
  • Paysafe
  • Worldpay
• Skrill & Neteller
  Popular and supported by most ONJN-compliant operators. Transactions are fast, but still require routing through approved processors.
• PayPal
  Technically permitted, but rarely integrated due to selective onboarding and limited local support.
• Paysafecard
  Common for cash-preferred users. Must be handled via a Class II-certified voucher provider (e.g. Paysafe).
• Bank Transfers
  Often used for high-value transactions. Players prefer payouts directly to Romanian IBAN accounts. Integration with local banking infrastructure is essential.
• Local PSPs & Fintech Solutions
  Romanian providers like MobilPay, SmartPay, and Rapid Transfer offer RON-native services and enhanced trust with domestic players.

All player funds must be held in segregated bank accounts denominated in RON. Even if deposits are made in EUR or USD via eWallets, the operational balance must be converted and stored in RON.

Cryptocurrency and Digital Payments

As of 2025, cryptocurrency is not permitted for gambling payments under Romanian law. The ONJN does not allow deposits, withdrawals, or in-game transactions using digital currencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, or stablecoins.

Operators may not:

• Provide crypto wallets
• Convert crypto to fiat on the platform
• Promote crypto payment options to Romanian players.

Workarounds such as off-platform crypto-to-fiat exchanges are tolerated only if:

• The exchange process is fully external to the operator
• Deposits into the gambling platform are made via a licensed fiat PSP
• The operator does not advertise or facilitate the conversion.

In effect, cryptocurrency remains outside the ONJN-compliant ecosystem. Until the law evolves, it cannot be integrated directly into any payment flow within licensed Romanian operations.

Fraud Protection and Payment Gateway Compliance

All payment providers integrated into a Romanian-facing platform must hold an ONJN Class II licence, support RON-denominated transactions, and allow real-time data access for audits. Systems must comply with Romanian financial law and EU AML regulations.

Operators are responsible for enforcing platform-level safeguards, including IP checks, device fingerprinting, velocity monitoring, card BIN validation, and KYC-based transaction limits. These controls must be active and auditable.

Marketing and Affiliate Strategy for Romania

Marketing is legal in Romania’s regulated iGaming space, but again, operators must comply with ONJN rules and ensure all promotional partners are licensed. Campaigns must be accurate, age-restricted, and transparent, with clear responsible gambling messaging.

Affiliate Program Setup and Commission Models

Affiliates must hold an ONJN Class II licence to promote gambling products in Romania. Operators are liable for their affiliates’ conduct, so vetting and compliance monitoring are essential.

Most affiliate programs in Romania are built around three commission types structures:

• Revenue share (typically 25-40%)
• CPA (Cost Per Acquisition)
• Hybrid combinations of the two

Platforms like Affilka by SOFTSWISS help manage tracking, tiered commissions, reporting, and partner segmentation.

SEO and Paid Advertising Considerations

Search engine optimisation (SEO) remains a core strategy. Romanian players search in their native language, making localised content critical, especially around keywords like legal online casino, bonuses, and free spins.

Google Ads allows gambling promotion in Romania, but advertisers must obtain certification from Google and possess a valid licence issued by the Romanian National Office for Gambling (ONJN). Ads must:

• Target verified adults (18+)
• Include responsible gambling disclaimers
• Avoid misleading terms or exaggerated incentives

Social platforms like Facebook and Instagram permit gambling ads with similar restrictions, but accounts often require verification to avoid rejection or bans.

Localised Campaigns and Bonuses

Localisation drives engagement. Romanian players respond best to promotions that reflect local preferences, both in language and content.

Top-performing incentives include:

• Matched deposit bonuses with transparent rollover terms
• Free spins on fruit-themed or retro-style slots
• Free bets tied to football or tennis events

Incorporating national holidays, local references, or sports events into campaigns can significantly boost performance. All messaging must be GDPR-compliant, and tools for responsible play should be clearly visible.

Conclusion

Romania’s iGaming market offers clear potential but only for operators prepared to meet its demands in full. It is not an open market in the casual sense, but a controlled, rules-based environment where success depends on precision: legal, technical, and operational.

From ONJN licensing and mirror server obligations to the use of approved suppliers and RON-denominated payments, every component must align. There is little margin for error. Regulation in Romania does not operate on intent, it operates on infrastructure.

Yet, for those who meet the criteria, the rewards are substantial: access to a digitally connected, mobile-first player base; a transparent and stable licensing system; and a market forecast to reach nearly €1 billion by the end of the decade.

Launching an online casino here is not just about entering a new region, it's about aligning with a market that values structure, security, and long-term trust. Get the foundation right, and Romania becomes a sustainable and scalable part of your global strategy.