National Gambling Office (ONJN) Licence Review

TL;DR

ONJN at a glance

Tier-1 EU regulator (Oficiul Naţional pentru Jocuri de Noroc — ONJN). Active licensing market with 30+ B2C licensees including Pragmatic Play, Evolution and other tier-one studios on B2B side.

• Tier: Tier 1 — mainstream regulated markets with mandatory RG infrastructure
• Country: Romania
• Player Protections: Mandatory KYC, age verification, dispute-resolution framework. Self-exclusion via ONJN-managed register. Less prescriptive than UKGC/MGA on affordability checks.
• Crypto: Crypto-tolerant under ONJN, several licensees accept BTC/ETH under enhanced KYC.
• Bottom Line: Tier-1 mainstream Eastern European. Lighter affordability regime than UKGC/Germany. Active enforcement comparable to MGA.

What is the National Gambling Office?

Tier-1 EU regulator (Oficiul Naţional pentru Jocuri de Noroc — ONJN). Active licensing market with 30+ B2C licensees including Pragmatic Play, Evolution and other tier-one studios on B2B side.

When was the ONJN established?

ONJN established 2013 under Emergency Ordinance 77/2009 (as subsequently amended). Modern online gambling framework dates to the 2015 GEO regulations that opened the market to international operators.

What player protections does a ONJN licence guarantee?

Mandatory KYC, age verification, dispute-resolution framework. Self-exclusion via ONJN-managed register. Less prescriptive than UKGC/MGA on affordability checks.

How do I verify a ONJN licence?

Visit the ONJN public register or contact https://www.onjn.gov.ro to verify a licence claim. Licensed operators must display their ONJN licence reference on the casino footer; the reference should resolve to a live register entry. Footer-claim with no public-register match = not actually licensed.

How does the ONJN handle player complaints?

ONJN handles player complaints according to its tier-1 mainstream framework. Tier-1 jurisdictions typically require mandatory ADR providers (UKGC: IBAS/eCOGRA/ProMediate; MGA: PSU). Tier-2/3 jurisdictions handle complaints via the operator or directly via the regulator. Always escalate within the casino first; if unresolved, contact ONJN via https://www.onjn.gov.ro.

What is the ONJN enforcement record?

Active enforcement with annual fines published; cancellations of non-compliant licensees.

What licence types does the ONJN issue?

ONJN typically issues separate licence categories for remote (online) casino, remote sportsbook/betting, lottery products, and B2B platform/software supply. Personal licences for management and key-function holders apply at tier-1 jurisdictions. Exact category structure for Romania is published on https://www.onjn.gov.ro.

How much does a ONJN operating licence cost?

€120,000 application fee, annual licence fee scales by category. 16% GGR tax (low by EU standards).

Are player funds protected at ONJN casinos?

Player fund segregation requirements vary by tier. Tier-1 regulators (UKGC, MGA, Spelinspektionen) typically mandate segregated client accounts or trust structures, often with formal disclosure tiers. ONJN operates within the tier-1 mainstream framework; specific fund-protection requirements for Romania are documented in the operator's T&Cs and on https://www.onjn.gov.ro.

Can ONJN-licensed casinos accept crypto?

Crypto-tolerant under ONJN, several licensees accept BTC/ETH under enhanced KYC.

How does the ONJN compare to UKGC, MGA and offshore alternatives?

Tier-1 mainstream Eastern European. Lighter affordability regime than UKGC/Germany. Active enforcement comparable to MGA.

What changed for ONJN casinos in 2024–2025?

2024–2025 saw bonus-rule tightening and enhanced AML reporting requirements.

Which casinos hold a ONJN licence?

Casinos holding a current ONJN licence are searchable on the ONJN public register at https://www.onjn.gov.ro. The Gambledin casino-reviews catalogue indicates which top-rated casinos hold which licences in the operator info section.

Is the ONJN a strict regulator?

On the global iGaming-regulator strictness spectrum, ONJN sits in the tier-1 mainstream band. ONJN sits alongside UKGC and MGA in the mainstream regulated tier — comparable player protection infrastructure, comparable enforcement seriousness. Strictest mainstream regulators currently are UKGC, MGA, Spelinspektionen, Spillemyndigheden and Germany GGL on different dimensions (enforcement cadence vs stake limits vs cross-operator exclusion).

Written by the Gambledin Editorial Team

This licence review was produced collaboratively by the Gambledin Editorial Team — licensing and regulatory specialism (Marcus Webb, lead), methodology and data analysis (Bogdan Catalin + Victor Tudor), and content review (James Mitchell). Each contributor reviews the sections within their specialism before publication.

Full byline: Gambledin Editorial Team  |  Author profiles: Marcus Webb, James Mitchell

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