Romania operates a closed, strictly regulated online gaming market. To legally offer games of chance to Romanian players, your company must satisfy the Romania gaming licence requirements set by ONJN (Oficiul National pentru Jocuri de Noroc), the national gambling regulator. No other European or offshore licence substitutes for an ONJN authorisation.
A Malta MGA licence does not permit you to target Romanian players. Operators who accept Romanian-resident players without an ONJN Class I licence face domain blocking orders, fines, and referral to Romanian fiscal authorities. Therefore, any operator planning to enter this market must understand what ONJN requires before filing an application.
This guide covers the core conditions, the document requirements, the corporate structure you need, and what the licence does not authorise. For a step-by-step breakdown of the application process itself, see our article on the Romania gaming licence application process.
Contents
- Romania Gaming Licence Requirements: What ONJN Regulates
- Core Romania gaming licence requirements for B2C operators
- Technical Romania Gaming Licence Requirements
- AML and KYC Romania Gaming Licence Requirements
- Personnel and key function requirements
- Romania gaming licence requirements: complete document checklist
- What a Romania licence does not permit
- Frequently asked questions
Romania Gaming Licence Requirements: What ONJN Regulates
ONJN (onjn.gov.ro) operates under Government Emergency Ordinance 77/2009, amended by Law 124/2015. These instruments established Romania’s online gaming licensing framework, which requires any operator targeting Romanian-resident players to hold a Class I Remote Gambling Licence issued directly by ONJN.
Romania is an EU member state. However, it runs a nationally closed gambling market, and EU passporting principles do not apply here in the way they do in certain Nordic or central European markets. Romanian courts have confirmed ONJN’s authority to block unlicensed operators, and ONJN actively uses domain-blocking orders against sites without a Romanian licence.
ONJN issues licences across two main remote categories:
- Class I Remote Gambling Licence: covers online casino games, poker, sports betting, bingo, and lottery-type games offered to Romanian residents
- Promotional Lottery Authorisation: a separate instrument for promotional campaigns; not addressed in this guide
Both categories require a Romanian or EU/EEA corporate entity. In practice, most Class I applicants use a Romanian-incorporated company. Therefore, operators usually prepare the Romanian company structure before starting the ONJN application.
Core Romania gaming licence requirements for B2C operators
The core Romania gaming licence requirements fall into four categories: corporate structure, share capital, physical presence, and applicant integrity. Each is a hard gate. ONJN will not advance an application if any category is incomplete or fails its review.
Corporate formation
You must operate through a company incorporated in Romania or an EU/EEA entity with a registered branch in Romania. ONJN reviews the full corporate chain: ultimate beneficial owners (UBOs), all shareholders above the disclosure threshold, and every director appointment. Shelf companies are acceptable if they carry a clean compliance history. For help structuring the Romanian entity, see our gaming company incorporation service.
Share capital
ONJN requires minimum paid-up share capital held in a dedicated Romanian bank account. For Class I online casino or poker, the threshold is the RON equivalent of approximately 1 million EUR. This capital is ring-fenced: you cannot use it for operating expenses. Because the RON-denominated threshold adjusts with exchange rates, verify the current figure directly with ONJN before filing.
Physical presence and registered address
Your Romanian entity must maintain a registered office address in Romania. ONJN may conduct premises checks during the licence period. A PO box or virtual office arrangement does not satisfy this requirement. You need a genuine operational presence, even if your technical infrastructure sits outside Romania.
Integrity and suitability
Every UBO, director, and shareholder above the relevant disclosure threshold must pass ONJN’s suitability assessment. This covers criminal record checks across all jurisdictions of prior residence, financial probity reviews, and prior regulatory history. A licence refusal in another EU jurisdiction or a conviction for financial crime will typically disqualify an individual from the application.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Licence type | Class I Remote Gambling (B2C online) |
| Minimum share capital | RON equivalent of approx. EUR 1,000,000 |
| Capital location | Dedicated Romanian bank account (ring-fenced) |
| Corporate entity | Romanian company or EU/EEA branch with Romanian tax presence |
| Licence term | 5 years, renewable |
| Regulator | ONJN (onjn.gov.ro) |
Technical Romania Gaming Licence Requirements
ONJN requires technical certification for your gaming platform and RNG before it issues the final licence. The testing process covers game mathematics, payout verification, game cycle integrity, and system security. This is not a document review; it is a functional audit of your live platform.
Platform and RNG certification
Your platform must receive technical approval from an ONJN-accredited testing laboratory. BMM Testlabs and Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) are among the approved labs. Budget 8 to 12 weeks for the certification process, not counting any remediation time if the lab identifies deficiencies. You can run RNG certification in parallel with the corporate and compliance review to reduce overall timeline.
Romanian-language interface and currency support
Your platform must support Romanian as the default language for Romanian-resident players. You must also accept RON (Romanian leu) as a playable currency. Player account terms, game rules, bonus conditions, and responsible gambling information must all be available in Romanian.
Data residency and cybersecurity
Player data for Romanian users must be stored on servers within the EEA. ONJN does not mandate servers physically in Romania, but your server location documentation must confirm EEA data residency. Operators using cloud infrastructure must provide data residency certificates from their cloud provider. Your information security policy and GDPR compliance documentation form part of the technical submission.
AML and KYC Romania Gaming Licence Requirements
The Romania gaming licence requirements include a full anti-money laundering (AML) and know-your-customer (KYC) programme that must comply with both the EU 6th Anti-Money Laundering Directive (6AMLD) and Romanian Law 129/2019. You submit the programme documentation as part of your application. After that, ONJN reviews it as a condition of licence approval.
Your AML programme must cover:
- Identity verification before the first deposit, using document-based and electronic verification
- Source of funds checks for deposits above defined thresholds
- Politically exposed person (PEP) screening and enhanced due diligence (EDD) where applicable
- Ongoing transaction monitoring and suspicious transaction reporting
- An AML risk assessment, documented and updated at least annually
Your designated AML Reporting Officer submits suspicious transaction reports directly to ONPCSB (Oficiul National de Prevenire si Combatere a Spalarii Banilor), Romania’s dedicated AML authority. You cannot appoint the same individual as both Compliance Officer and AML Reporting Officer. ONJN and ONPCSB cooperate on enforcement, so AML reporting failures carry risk at both the licensing and criminal law levels.
Beyond AML, your platform must integrate with Romania’s national self-exclusion registry. ONJN treats this integration as a hard condition: your platform checks the registry at account registration and before each player session. Failure to implement and maintain this integration is a basis for licence suspension.
Personnel and key function requirements
Romania requires operators to maintain active compliance staffing throughout the licence period. Nominal appointments, where an individual holds the title but performs no genuine operational role, are a basis for regulatory intervention during ONJN supervisory reviews.
| Role | Requirement |
|---|---|
| General Manager | Demonstrable seniority; accessible to ONJN; clean regulatory history across all prior jurisdictions |
| Compliance Officer | Responsible for licence condition adherence; must respond to ONJN requests within defined timeframes; cannot also serve as AML Reporting Officer |
| AML Reporting Officer | Files suspicious transaction reports to ONPCSB; must complete ONJN-approved AML training; separate individual from the Compliance Officer |
| Data Protection Officer (DPO) | Required under GDPR; reported separately to Romania’s Data Protection Authority (ANSPDCP), not to ONJN |
If you cannot fill these roles internally from day one, DD Consultus provides experienced gaming licensing compliance officers on an outsourced basis. This is a practical option for operators entering Romania for the first time without an established compliance function.
Romania gaming licence requirements: complete document checklist
The following documents are standard for a Class I remote gambling application. ONJN may request additional materials at any stage. To understand how these documents fit into the overall sequence, see our guide to the Romania gaming licence application process.
Corporate documents
- Certificate of incorporation (apostilled if issued outside Romania)
- Articles of association
- Shareholder register and UBO declaration
- CVs, passports, and criminal background certificates for all directors and UBOs
- Proof of share capital deposit (bank statements or capital contribution certificate)
- Full corporate structure chart showing all entities in the ownership chain
Technical documents
- Platform architecture document
- RNG certification from an ONJN-accredited testing laboratory
- Game description and mathematics sheets for all offered products
- Cybersecurity and information security policy
- Data processing agreements and GDPR compliance documentation
- Server location certificates confirming EEA data residency
Compliance documents
- AML policy and risk assessment
- KYC procedures document
- Responsible gambling policy, including proof of self-exclusion registry integration
- Player fund protection and segregation evidence
Financial Documents for Romania Gaming Licence Requirements
- Audited financial statements for the last three years (or shorter trading history if the entity is newer)
- Proof of share capital deposit in a dedicated Romanian account
- Bank reference letter
Preparing this documentation is time-intensive. Operators who apply without adequate preparation typically receive requests for additional information that add two to three months to the process. Our gaming licence acquisition service covers document preparation, translation coordination, and direct liaison with ONJN on your behalf.
What a Romania licence does not permit
To satisfy the Romania gaming licence requirements is one thing. Knowing the precise scope of what the ONJN Class I licence authorises is another. Several limitations consistently catch operators who assume the licence covers more than it does.
- The Class I licence authorises access to Romanian-resident players only. It carries no EU passporting right and cannot serve as a basis for operating in other EU member states.
- Sports betting and casino games fall under different product categories within the Class I framework. Adding a new vertical after launch requires a formal extension application to ONJN, not a simple notification.
- A Romanian operator licence does not cover land-based operations. Physical gaming venues require a separate ONJN authorisation under a different licence category.
- The self-exclusion registry check is mandatory before every player session, not only at account registration. ONJN audits this in its supervisory reviews.
- An ONJN authorisation does not cover Romanian tax obligations. Operators pay a gross gaming revenue tax under Romanian fiscal law, administered separately by ANAF.
For a full jurisdiction profile, including how Romania compares to other markets, see the Romania online gaming licence page.
Frequently asked questions
What are the Romania gaming licence requirements for a foreign company?
Foreign companies must establish a Romanian subsidiary or register an EU/EEA branch entity with a Romanian tax presence. In practice, ONJN does not licence operators through a foreign entity without a Romanian corporate footprint. Therefore, the Romanian entity must independently hold the minimum share capital and meet all personnel requirements.
How long does the ONJN licence application take?
A complete Class I remote gambling application typically takes 3 to 6 months from the date of submission. Incomplete applications extend this significantly. Platform technical certification can run in parallel with the corporate and compliance review, but it must complete before ONJN issues the final licence.
Can an MGA licence replace an ONJN licence?
No. Romania is a nationally regulated market. Therefore, an MGA licence does not grant access to Romanian players. In addition, operators who accept Romanian residents without an ONJN authorisation face fines, domain blocking by Romanian ISPs, and referral to ANAF.
What is the minimum share capital for a Class I Romania gaming licence?
The minimum is the RON equivalent of approximately 1 million EUR for Class I online gaming. This capital sits in a dedicated Romanian bank account and cannot fund operating expenses. Verify the current RON-denominated threshold with ONJN before filing, as exchange rate movements can affect the figure.
Does Romania require local servers?
No. ONJN does not require servers physically located in Romania. However, player data for Romanian users must be stored within the EEA. Server location documentation confirming EEA data residency is part of the technical submission.
Is the self-exclusion registry integration mandatory?
Yes. Romania operates a national self-exclusion registry. Your platform must connect to this registry and check it at account registration and before each player session. ONJN includes self-exclusion compliance in its ongoing supervisory audits.
Do I need separate RNG certification for new games added after launch?
Yes, in principle. However, adding new games or game variants after initial platform certification requires notification to ONJN. In addition, depending on the nature of the addition, ONJN may require new or updated technical certification from an accredited lab. Therefore, operating uncertified games after launch can become a basis for suspension of the authorisation.
What is ONPCSB and why does it matter for operators?
ONPCSB (Oficiul National de Prevenire si Combatere a Spalarii Banilor) is Romania’s anti-money laundering authority. Your AML Reporting Officer submits suspicious transaction reports directly to ONPCSB as part of your mandatory AML compliance obligations. ONJN and ONPCSB cooperate on enforcement, so AML reporting failures carry risk at both the licensing and criminal law levels.
Software and platform suppliers should also review the Romania B2B gaming licence requirements.