Well, the online casino industry has undoubtedly witnessed a huge surge in Romania over the past few decades. Although the licensing rules for online casinos were introduced back in 2015, the online casino industry of Romania witnessed a huge surge in its popularity only during the UEFA Euro 2021, when online betting activity spiked by an estimated 90%. According to reports and financial statistics, Romania generated a substantial revenue worth in millions based on gambling revenue which slipped in through online channels.
Additionally, according to the recent reports, the number of active accounts on licensed platforms has undergone a significant and path-breaking surge since 2021. With a majority of players using their smartphones to access the online casinos, Romania has undoubtedly established a whole new saga of gaming aficionados who are investing their money and playing the online casino games without holding back and has established itself as the most active gambling market in Eastern Europe. Have you ever wondered about how to start an online casino in Romania in 2026? Well, let’s get started.
In this article we will take a look at the top four ways to start an online casino in Romania in 2026.
How to Start an Online Casino in Romania in 2026
Get Your License From ONJN
Well, Oficiul Național pentru Jocuri de Noroc (ONJN) is Romania’s official gambling regulatory authority responsible for regulating, licensing, supervising, and controlling all online as well as offline gambling activities in Romania. If you want to establish an online gambling casino in Romania, it’s extremely crucial to get a licence from Romania’s gambling regulator, the ONJN (Oficiul Național pentru Jocuri de Noroc). It is considered illegal for any individual or entity to run a gambling casino in the province of Romania without having a legal license.
The ONJN (Oficiul Național pentru Jocuri de Noroc) conducts numerous detailed enquiries about the company registration, ownership structure, financial stability, player data protection and much more before giving the license. As of January 2026, the ONJN (Oficiul Național pentru Jocuri de Noroc) offers two types of license including a Class I licence, which is often given to operators offering gambling services directly to players, and a Class II licence, which has been designed especially for software providers, payment processors, and other gambling-related services.
Have a Strong Financial Backup
Well, running your online gambling casino can be an extremely expensive deal to crack as Romania charges one of the highest online gambling licence fees in Europe. As of January 2026, the ONJN annual license fee is around €300,000. Therefore, before launching your online gambling casino in Romania you must be prepared to invest hefty amounts. In addition to spending a staggering amount of money on obtaining the license, the online casinos in Romania are also required to pay tax on Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR).
Moreover, the ONJN requires a substantial financial guarantee or bank deposit which protects players’ funds and covers all the unpaid taxes and penalties. Furthermore, in order to start their own online gambling casinos, the operators are also required to spend their money on other inevitable expenses including compliance, legal, and audit costs. Therefore, if you’re planning to start an online casino in Romania, you must be prepared to manage extremely heavy financial demands.
Gambling Games, Servers and Data
Well, unlike the majority of other European countries, Romania has made it a mandate for the operators to get the games tested and certified by the ONJN before launching them in their casinos. The uncertified games are strictly prohibited in any gambling casino in Romania as of January 2026. Additionally, the Romanian operators must provide real-time access to key gambling data for ONJN, which includes player’s activities, identity verification (KYC) status, deposit and withdrawal history, Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) and affiliate commissions.
Moreover, it is mandatory for the Romanian gambling operators to use certified gaming servers and keep their data tamper-proof and auditable. In case the gambling operators make any attempt to breach the guidelines provided by ONJN (Oficiul Național pentru Jocuri de Noroc), their license might get cancelled, and they might also get penalised with heavy fines and in some major cases, it can also lead to their gaming websites and platforms getting blacklisted in Romania.
Launch & Marketing
Once the online casino gets approved by the ONJN (Oficiul Național pentru Jocuri de Noroc), the owners of these gambling platforms are allowed to operate and promote their platform in Romania. However, their method of launch and promotion is constantly and closely monitored by the ONJN (Oficiul Național pentru Jocuri de Noroc). As per the guidelines given by ONJN (Oficiul Național pentru Jocuri de Noroc), before officially launching their online gambling platform, the operators must have their games approved by the ONJN (Oficiul Național pentru Jocuri de Noroc) beforehand.
Additionally, the operators must ensure that their online gambling platform is fully connected to ONJN’s monitoring systems. Furthermore, the ONJN has made it mandatory for the operators to clearly mention the age restriction guideline in their advertisements and promotional campaigns. Moreover, Romania has also prohibited the operators from using any child-friendly graphics in their advertisements. Interestingly, the operators in Romania are also required to have mandatory okayed protection tools, including deposit limits, loss limits and session time limits, before launching their online gambling platforms in order to protect the players from major losses.
Also Read: Is Online Casino Legal In France? 2026 Rules And Updates
