Romania - online gambling regulations

Online gambling regulations, laws and taxes in Romania

The online gambling industry is thriving, and because of this plenty of countries are reconsidering their laws. Instead of outlawing gambling, they are opening their market to both local and foreign online casino operators. Gambling hasn’t always been so popular especially when it came to the law. In fact, many government officials from various countries have been opposing gambling from the start.

When looking at Romania you will see that the country has experienced a rollercoaster ride when it comes to the legalisation or banning of gambling. Today the gambling industry both online and off is thriving in this country, but things haven’t always been this simple.

In an attempt to understand the gambling laws and regulations in place in Romania, we’ll be looking at the history and laws relating to gambling as well as any relevant changes made in recent years. As a player situated in Romania this is your Number One source, providing all relevant information you need to know if you want to play safely online in Romania and without getting into trouble.

History and laws of gambling in Romania

Romania is yet another country with a long and often confusing history of legal gambling. It all started in 1906 when gambling was made legal, and the national lottery, Loteria Romana, was established. But in the time Nicolae Ceausescu was in power during the Communist dictatorship, gambling was made illegal. In 1990 when his rule came to an end, gambling was once more allowed in the country. In 1991 the very first post-communist casino opened its doors.

When it comes to online gambling, the story of their laws becomes even more interesting. The National Gambling Office is the one that takes care of all Romanian gambling matters and works in collaboration with the Supervisory Committee. The latter has the power to authorize and allow operators to be legal and accepted into the Romanian gambling market. The Committee is also responsible for implementing the rules and regulations operators are required to follow.

Online gambling has been legal in Romania for many years now, but there was a long time period when it was not available because there was no institution responsible for it. Thus, while online gambling has been legal for quite some time, it was inactive for most of the time. Only in December 2014 did the Romanian authorities start paying closer attention to the issue, as well as the requirement needed to permit or ban any traditional or online gambling activities. It should be said that the current monopoly of the Romanian gambling market remains with Loteria Romana, which provides both online and offline gambling options.

The main law regarding online gambling is the Government Emergency Ordinance which was passed into law by the end of 2014. This law covers all laws and regulations regarding gambling. It also puts emphasis on outdated gambling laws, especially the ones relating to online gambling. Due to the pressure, Romania received from the European Commission, the gambling officials decided to remove all restrictions they previously had for online gambling.

While the new laws cover things such as taxes, payment methods available and other financial business, it also focuses a lot on implementing stricter measures to help prevent gambling addictions and the chance of underage children gaining access to online gambling games. The new laws also break down the types of licences which online gambling operators can be granted. There are three classes of the licence provided, and each is provided for a single purpose only. Such licences are valid for 10 years once approved but can be revoked if operators don’t adhere to the rules and regulations connected to their class of licence.

Furthermore, since the laws and regulations haven’t been up to standard according to EU rules, the Romanian authorities established a special commission tasked to ensure that the measures taken to prevent problem gambling or underage gambling are compatible with the European Committee’s standard requirements.

Responsible gambling

As part of their effort to eliminate any problem gambling, the Romanian authorities have a set of rules which online operators are required to comply with if they wish to provide their services to residents. These rules include steps to be taken if players take part in gambling too long and information on where to get help when problem gambling becomes an issue.

Operators are also required to add a clock to their website to show players how long they’ve been playing. In addition to this, all information should be available in their home language, and any player taking part in gambling activities for over 12 hours has to be notified of the possible dangers they face. Players should also have the ability to set deposit limits or deactivate their accounts temporarily or permanently.

Are online gambling winnings taxable in Romania?

Romania is one of the countries which have run into quite a bit of trouble regarding their taxation on gambling activities. While they have changed their legislation, they’ve ensured that all information regarding tax payable is included. Where most countries often only tax the casinos, Romania is one country that requires players to pay tax on their online gambling winnings. Players are required to declare their winnings annually and pay the required tax.

To show how serious the matter is the Romanian gambling officials have also tasked operators with keeping a record of profits higher than a certain amount earned by players. By law, the operators are required to send this information on to officials, and players who have not declared their winnings can get into trouble.

Is online gambling legal in Romania?

Romania made online gambling legal in 2010. Unfortunately, for a certain time period, there were no laws or regulations and the market was practically non-existent.

In recent years government officials have put more focus on the online casino industry, and have also opened their market to foreign operators. Online gambling is completely legal in the country and players can visit legal online casinos as much as they please. The country has gone to a lot of trouble to provide lenient gambling laws and legislation, while still putting the players and their safety first. To ensure you are playing at a government-approved online casino, take a look at the online casinos legally allowed to offer their services to Romanian citizens.