The Romanian government has expressed its intention to introduce higher fees and tighten requirements for the gambling business.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Finance published a draft “emergency ordinances ” sent to parliament for discussion and voting in October, with the aim of tightening gambling regulations.
Changes include the ministry’s approval of new license fees, a ban on the sale of alcohol in all gambling establishments except casinos, and a mandatory requirement for gambling licensees to have permanent residence in Romania.
As for licensing, the project proposes to introduce a new fee structure for all gambling verticals. The annual license fee will be set at:
- Lotto games: €200,000
- Mutual bets: €65,000
- Fixed odds bets: €200,000
- Counter bets: €150,000
- Casino gambling: €150,000
- Poker club games: €25,000
- Slot-machine games: €150,000
- Bingo in gaming rooms: €15,000
- Bingo games via TV: €150,000
Land-based casinos and large retail operators will pay individual license fees, which will be collected by the Ministry and calculated based on the operators’ annual revenue.
According to the instructions of the National Gambling Office of Romania (ONJN), starting from January 1, 2025, all licensed operators, regardless of income level, must reserve at least €1m for licensing fees.
The ministry proposes to tighten control over tax collection, with businesses required to submit tax reports to ONJN within “five working days after the next collection month.”
The project also proposes to expand the ONJN’s powers through a “centralized database” where the data of gambling players is recorded, in accordance with European standards.
The ministry approved “restrictions on advertising” that were proposed by other Romanian departments. These restrictions include a ban on “unsolicited online advertising” and a ban on betting incentives such as bonuses, promotions and jackpots.
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