How to Start an Online Casino in Romania: Licensing, Compliance, and Payment Rules

Romania is one of the more straightforward Eastern European markets for operators that can meet the technical and legal checklist. The catch is that “open” does not mean “light-touch”: the market is regulated by the National Gambling Office (ONJN), and payments, compliance, and certification all need to line up before you go live.

1. Romania uses a criteria-based licensing model rather than a protectionist one. Any EU-registered company may enter the market if it satisfies the defined technical and legal conditions. The framework is overseen by the ONJN and covers online casinos, sports betting, poker, bingo, and other major verticals.
2. The regulatory structure was laid out in 2009 and further formalised through technical provisions introduced in 2016. From 2022 through 2024, the framework was refined through stricter controls, revised fiscal instruments, and expanded compliance obligations for both B2C and B2B stakeholders.
3. Romania is not a tiny test market. The country has a population of nearly 19 million, and by 2024 its online gambling segment generated €752.8 million. The forecast for 2029 is just under €1 billion, with a 5.6% compound annual growth rate (CAGR).
4. The demand mix is clear enough to matter for product and payments planning. Sports betting accounts for approximately 58% of the online gambling market in 2025, while online casino games make up around 36%. Football dominates, but Romanian bettors also show strong interest in tennis, rugby, and gymnastics.
5. The source highlights technical compliance items that matter before launch: mirror servers, RNG certification, and KYC/AML. It also notes that the SOFTSWISS Sportsbook is certified for use in Romania and offers full ONJN compliance, live betting, and integration with local payments.

For PSPs and acquiring teams, the practical read is simple: Romania is a regulated market with enough scale to justify the work, but not a place for half-finished onboarding or “we’ll sort compliance later” optimism. If the licence, technical setup, and local payment methods do not fit ONJN requirements, the market will not forgive the gap.