Sports betting in Romania has been legal since the Government Emergency Ordinance no. 77/2009, which established a state-controlled framework for all gambling activities, including fixed-odds sports betting (pariuri). The ordinance was approved with amendments by Law no. 246/2010 and further refined by various emergency ordinances to ensure robust regulation and consumer protection (1).
Under OUG 77/2009, organizing and exploiting any form of gambling on Romanian territory is a state monopoly managed by the National Gambling Office (ONJN). Operators may only conduct sports betting if they hold both a license to organize gambling games and a time-limited authorization to exploit those games, granted by ONJN upon meeting strict criteria (1).
"Organizarea și exploatarea activității de jocuri de noroc pe teritoriul României constituie monopol de stat și se desfășoară în condițiile prezentei ordonanțe de urgență. Statul poate acorda dreptul de organizare și exploatare a activității pe bază de licență de organizare a jocurilor de noroc și autorizație de exploatare."
Since the establishment of ONJN in 2013, all fixed-odds sports betting operators must obtain a Class I license to offer remote gambling services. The current list of licensed operators, updated as of July 2024, is publicly available on the ONJN website and details those authorized to provide pariuri în cotă fixă (2).
Engaging in sports betting through unlicensed platforms is illegal and constitutes an offense under Article 23 of OUG 77/2009, punishable by fines or imprisonment. Romanian authorities actively enforce these provisions to combat unauthorized gambling activities (1).
Source:
https://legislatie.just.ro/Public/DetaliiDocument/172106
https://onjn.gov.ro/licentiati-clasa-i/
Last updated: 22-05-2025 Disclaimer: This article does not provide legal advice. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney directly.
