🇷🇴Romania gambling regulation

Legal framework at a glance

Romania regulates gambling under Government Emergency Ordinance No. 77/2009 and its implementing rules, amended many times since. Online casino, poker and sports betting are open to licensed private operators, while lottery games remain the monopoly of the state company Loteria Română. In 2025 and 2026 the framework changed significantly, with higher taxes, stronger regulator powers and a shift of land-based licensing to local authorities.

The regulator

The National Gambling Office (ONJN) licenses and supervises operators, collects fees, maintains the blacklist of illegal sites and runs self-exclusion. Law No. 141/2025 extended its powers to order removal of illegal gambling content and to require monthly reports from licensed suppliers on players’ attempts to reach unlicensed platforms. In its April 2025 to April 2026 year, ONJN reported about 11,000 control activities, 60 licence revocations, 70 criminal complaints and roughly 10 million lei in fines.

Who does what

Body	Role
ONJN	Online and B2B licensing, supervision, blacklist, self-exclusion
Local councils	Since February 2026, decide whether land-based gambling is allowed locally, plus zoning and local taxes
Ministry of Finance	Tax policy; reviewing the draft ordinance on unified self-exclusion
Loteria Română	State lottery monopoly

This split means that rules for an online casino account and for a slot hall in your town may now come from different authorities. Online players are largely unaffected by the 2026 local-licensing shift, but land-based operators face uncertainty until councils issue decisions, and some towns have moved to restrict or close venues.

Licensing

Online B2C operators need a class I licence and an annual operating authorisation from ONJN; B2B suppliers need class II licences. Licence holders must meet capital, technical certification, anti-money-laundering and responsible-gambling requirements. See how to obtain a gambling licence and B2B supplier licensing.

Online products — what is and isn’t legal

Online casino, live casino, poker and sports betting are legal through licensed operators. Lottery games are reserved to Loteria Română. Offering gambling without a licence is a criminal offence, and ONJN blacklists unlicensed sites for blocking.

Taxation

In 2025 Romania raised the tax on online gambling to 27% of gross gaming revenue, with 23% for retail, and increased annual fees for slot machines. Licence and authorisation fees apply in addition. Players’ winnings are also taxed. Local councils may now add their own taxes on land-based venues. See gambling taxation compared.

Advertising and marketing rules

Gambling advertising must carry age and responsible-gambling warnings and must not target minors. A 2024 amendment tightened zoning and advertising rules for land-based venues. In 2026 a bill to curb gambling advertising further, potentially including online ads and the use of public figures, was pending, together with a proposal to raise the gambling age to 21. Neither had passed by mid-2026. See gambling advertising rules.

Player-protection requirements

Operators must verify age and identity, offer limits and self-exclusion, and display responsible-gambling information. ONJN has introduced a public digital register of land-based gaming devices with QR codes and geolocation, and in 2025–26 funded its first prevention and treatment programme, “Aware and Free”.

Self-exclusion

Self-exclusion currently combines ONJN’s system with operator tools, and full unification is pending. See our Romania self-exclusion manual.

Enforcement against unlicensed operators

ONJN blacklisted more than 300 unlicensed sites and issued more than 60 illegal-content removal orders in its 2025–26 mandate year. See spotting unlicensed and black-market operators.

What this means for players

For players in Romania, the most important step is to use only operators licensed by ONJN, which publishes lists of licensed companies and blacklisted sites. Licensed sites must verify your identity, offer self-exclusion and limits, and display responsible-gambling information. Blacklisted sites may still be reachable, but they offer none of these protections.

Practical points:

• Check the licence: look up the operator on ONJN’s lists before opening an account; see how to check if a gambling site is licensed.
• Exclude broadly: while self-exclusion is not yet fully unified, request it through ONJN and with every operator you use.
• Watch for changes: if the unified self-exclusion ordinance is adopted, the process should become simpler and more consistent, with ID checks and cooling-off periods.
• Local rules: land-based venues may close or change in your town as councils use their new powers.
• Debt: if gambling has led to debt, get advice early; see managing money after gambling harm.

Recent developments and what to watch

• Local licensing: since 24 February 2026, councils decide whether to allow land-based gambling at all, and can set zoning rules and local taxes. Existing ONJN authorisations continue until they expire, leaving many operators uncertain; litigation is expected.
• Unified self-exclusion: a draft emergency ordinance awaits government approval.
• Advertising and age: bills to restrict advertising and raise the age to 21 were pending.
• Political instability: a caretaker government in 2026 slowed decisions.

For free help, see our Romania help directory. This page is general information, not legal advice.