An emergency ordinance issued late in 2014 by the Romanian government has legalised real-money i-gaming in the country, for both operators and players alike.
President of Romania’s National Office for Gambling, Odette Nestor, said: “Through this ordinance, the government has managed to regulate the online gambling sector, which was regulated in 2010, but not completely.
"We now have a legal framework that allows gambling operators to get licensed in Romania and, through this licensing, we will protect minors and Romanian players.”
The move follows recent pressure from the EU on member states to regulate gambling. Since 2010, it has been legal to gamble online in Romania but as there was no regulatory body there was no opportunity for operators to apply for licences. To reduce the risk of fraud within the land-based gaming sector, a requirement has also been introduced for slots and gambling machines to be connected to the National Office for Gambling.
