Regulator: ONJN

The ONJN (Oficiul Național pentru Jocuri de Noroc) is Romania's central gambling regulator. It forms rules, issues licenses, monitors compliance with requirements in the ground and online segments, and provides consumer protection. For the ONJN market - a single "point of responsibility": from admission and monitoring to law enforcement and public statistics.

ONJN Mission and Functions

Licensing. Accepts and evaluates applications from operators and B2B suppliers, issues licenses/permits, maintains registers of existing entities.

Supervision and enforcement. Conducts inspections, prescribes measures of influence (prescriptions, fines, suspensions/cancellations).

Online monitoring. Maintains a list of domains/IP of unlicensed sites, interacts with payment intermediaries and communication providers.

Responsible Gaming. Defines mandatory self-control tools (limits, self-exclusion), identification rules (KYC), age barriers.

Standards and auditing. Approves technical requirements for platforms, RNG, reporting; accredits auditors/certification organizations.

Market communication. Publishes methodological materials, answers to common questions, updates on procedures and registries.

License Classes and Ecosystem Members

Class I - Operators (B2C). Online sites and ground courts working with players. Localization, KYC/AML procedures, RG tools, transparent T&C and secure payments are required.

Class II - Providers (B2B). Platforms, content studios, hosting, payment services, auditors/certifiers, anti-fraud and KYC integrators - everyone who technologically provides the game.

Class III is a state lottery. Separate mode for the national lottery operator.

Admission procedure: what the applicant is preparing

1. Legal package. Constituent documents, ownership structure, absence of conflicts and restrictions.

2. Technical description. Platform architecture, security, log storage, integration with reporting, incident management plan.

3. Compliance policies. KYC/AML (including verification of identity and sources of funds), RG (limits/self-exclusion/timeouts), data protection (GDPR).

4. Contracts with B2B. All technology partners must have a valid Class II status.

5. Finance and taxes. Confirmation of payment discipline, mechanism for calculating the tax base and fees, transparent transaction registers.

Technical outline and reporting

RNG/platforms/stream studios - under mandatory certification.

Game logs and financial aggregates - transmitted in ONJN format with a regulated frequency.

Data storage - in accordance with the terms and standards of security; access for regulatory checks is mandatory.

Information security incidents are recorded, classified and promptly reported; Requires a recovery plan (BCP/DR).

Access control and market protection

Block lists and payment measures. Unlicensed domains are entered into the registry; intermediaries are required to limit transactions to them.

Supervised marketing. 18 + age targeting, banning misleading language and "promises of income," transparent bonus T & Cs, promo labeling.

Responsible play. Setting limits, session timers, transaction history, available break/self-exclusion tools - standard for licensed sites.

Ground and online segments

Land sites. Requirements for halls, equipment, box office discipline, video surveillance, age access and player information.

Online Games. Full localization, KYC before withdrawal, Strong Customer Authentication, "return to source" rule for payments, protection against bonus missions.

Typical ONJN Exposure Measures

Prescriptions and penalties for license/advertising violations.

Suspension/revocation of permits for gross or repeated violations.

Includes unlicensed sites in the blocking registry.

Public notices of inspection results and registry changes.

Interaction with industry

Public consultations. Draft methods and clarifications are submitted for discussion with the industry.

Educational initiatives. RG and KYC guides for operators, marketing recommendations, launch checklists.

Technology dialogue. Update reporting requirements, discuss integrations and safety standards.

What it means for players and businesses

For the player: transparency, protected payments, self-control tools and an understandable complaint procedure.

For business: predictable access frame, clear license classes, understandable standards of technical audit and compliance; a high but manageable "quality threshold."

Bottom line: ONJN is the "architect" of the Romanian gambling market. Its model combines access for conscientious operators, strict technical and compliance control and player protection. As a result, the market gets managed growth, and the consumer gets a safe and transparent service offline and online.