Organising and operating gambling in Romania is a state monopoly governed by Government Emergency Ordinance (GEO) no. 77/2009 on the organisation and operation of gambling and by the implementing rules approved by Government Decision no. 111/2016. Through the National Gambling Office (ONJN), the state grants the right to organise and operate gambling on the basis of a licence and an authorisation, which are personal and time-limited.
What counts as gambling in law
Gambling is an activity in which material — usually monetary — winnings are awarded after the organiser publicly offers a potential prize and the participant accepts the offer, with a direct or disguised participation fee, the winnings being determined by the random selection of results.
The following, for example, are not gambling and need no authorisation:
- raffles organised in schools, kindergartens or other communities for entertainment and without profit for the organisers;
- amusement games on machines that do not award prizes based on chance but test the player’s strength, intelligence or skill;
- promotional campaigns to boost sales, with no participation fee and no increase in the product’s price.
A new product (for example an online prize mechanism) should be assessed case by case before launch.
Licence classes
Under GEO 77/2009 as currently in force, licences are divided into two classes:
- Class I licence — for gambling organisers (B2C): casino games, slot machines, betting, bingo, poker, lotteries and remote (online) gambling. It is granted to a Romanian company, or to an entity from the EU/EEA or Switzerland with a permanent establishment in Romania.
- Class II licence — for industry service providers (B2B): producers and suppliers of game software and gaming equipment, platforms, payment processors, testing laboratories, affiliates and related activities. EU/EEA entities may hold the licence in their own name, with an authorised representative in Romania.
Licences are granted for 10 years, subject to payment of the annual fees. In addition to the licence, the organiser obtains an operating authorisation for each activity, valid for one year.
Main conditions for the organisation licence
- the company’s main activity must be organising gambling;
- the subscribed and paid-in share capital must meet the legal minimum for each activity (cumulative where several activities are requested);
- the integrity of the directors, significant shareholders and beneficial owners (criminal records, declarations and checks);
- the documents required by the implementing rules (Annex 6a to GD 111/2016) and proof that any required guarantees have been provided;
- for online gambling: the technical equipment, certification of the game software and random number generator by recognised laboratories, and connection to the monitoring systems.
Minimum share capital (Annex to GEO 77/2009)
| Activity | Minimum share capital |
|---|---|
| Lottery games | RON 2,000,000 |
| Remote (online) gambling | RON 1,000,000 |
| Fixed-odds betting | RON 1,000,000 |
| Mutual (pool) betting | RON 1,000,000 |
| Casino games | RON 1,000,000 |
| Bingo through television networks | RON 1,000,000 |
| Bingo in gaming halls | RON 100,000 |
| Poker clubs and festivals | RON 100,000 |
| Slot-machine games | RON 30,000 |
Fees and contributions
Licence and authorisation fees have been amended several times, most recently by GEO no. 82/2023, Law no. 107/2024, GEO no. 80/2024 as approved by Law no. 141/2025 and Law no. 239/2025. For online gambling, for example, the authorisation fee is 30% of gross gaming revenue (GGR), with a minimum of €480,000 a year, and a Class I licence also attracts a document analysis fee and a licence issuance fee. A Class II licence carries an annual licence fee and an annual contribution to the prevention of gambling addiction.
At the consultation we give you the amounts in force for your activity and an estimate of the total first-year cost.
How we help
- analysing the business model and placing the activity in the right licence class and category;
- structuring the company (or permanent establishment) and preparing the corporate documents;
- checking and preparing the ONJN application file, including translations and legalisations;
- correspondence with ONJN during the review and replies to requests for additional information;
- challenging refusals or sanctions imposed by ONJN, in the administrative procedure and in court.
Page updated . The information on this website is general and is not legal advice on any specific matter.