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Against this background, online B2B operators have been granted a central role in the state's efforts to combat unlicensed activities. This article takes a closer look at how the regulatory landscape for online B2B suppliers has evolved (from licensing and tax changes to compliance developments) and why Romania continues to stand out as an open market for online B2B operations.
Evolution of the Romanian B2B regulatory landscape
The Romanian online gambling market has undergone rapid regulatory evolution since 2016, moving from a permissive framework to a mature regime that increasingly targets integrity, consumer protection and anti‑black‑market measures. Below we present a concise yet comprehensive chronology and analysis of the main regulatory milestones affecting online B2B operators.
2016: Opening the market. The adoption of the Methodological Norms for implementation of the main normative act and amendments to the latter meant the opening of the online market. For the first time, B2B licences were introduced for companies supplying services to licensed B2C operators. Since the regulation was the first of its kind in the Romanian online gambling industry, ongoing compliance requirements were minimal.
In essence, if an entity's activity qualified as needing a licence, for the operator to legally supply its services, it required to hold the relevant licence. Apart from the licence process, which involved submission of certain documents and payment of the annual licence fee, there were no other significant regulatory obligations. The framework reflected a market in its infancy, where licensing functioned primarily as an entry-level filter rather than a compliance mechanism.
2019: first social responsibility obligations. The year 2019 marked the enforcement of the provision mandating the contribution of licensed operators to the socially responsible fund that supports fight against gambling addiction (also referred to as responsible gambling contribution). At that time, ONJN even requested retroactive payments of the EUR 1,000 contribution for the 3 previous years.
2022: A shift toward structured compliance. By 2022, the regime began to mature. The annual licence fee increased from EUR 6,0000 to EUR 9,500 and B2B entities were also brought within the "significant changes" notification regime (previously applicable only to B2C operators). Under this regime, which is still in force today, significant changes to the information provided at the licensing stage must be notified within 5 working days for physical submission and 48 hours for online submission. The notion of "significant changes", namely what changes fall under the scope of the notification, was clarified later in 2025 by ONJN Order 33/2025. Since the adoption of Order 33/2025, ONJN enforcement actions on notification requirements have increased exponentially.
2023: The compliance tightening. The regulatory focus intensified in 2023. For B2B suppliers, the annual fee rose sharply from EUR 9,500 to EUR 20,000, and the responsible gambling contribution increased substantially, from EUR 1,000 to EUR 15,000. The same set of amendments removed the EUR 250,000 guarantee requirement previously imposed on auditors, certifying laboratories and conformity evaluation bodies.
2024: B2B suppliers in the anti-black-market front line. The year 2024 marked the first implementation in the regulation of the state's declared fight against the black market. B2B suppliers were expressly prohibited from providing services to unlicensed operators and were required to implement technical measures to prevent unauthorised access. For the first time, enforcement responsibilities were extended beyond B2C operators to the service providers themselves. While the rule's drafting left room for interpretation and practical challenges, it marked a significant policy shift: B2B entities became an integral part of the national strategy to safeguard market integrity.
2025: Refining the framework and raising the compliance bar
The amendments adopted in 2025 further refined the 2024 regime, clarified operational obligations for B2B operators but also increased the compliance requirements. These updates positioned B2B entities not merely as service providers but as active gatekeepers in maintaining the integrity of Romania's licensed market.
Stricter rules on service provision. The 2025 amendments introduced detailed restrictions on whom B2B operators may provide services to. Specifically:
- All B2B operators are prohibited from providing services to unlicensed B2C operators that (i) offer all or part of the content on their website in Romanian, and/or (ii) accept deposits in RON or other currencies (including crypto-assets), and/or (iii) allow access to the site to players on the territory of Romania or to Romanian citizens who do not have tax residence in another state.
- All B2B operators are prohibited from providing services to entities or internet domains that are included in the Romanian regulator's blacklist.
- All B2B operators are prohibited from providing services to internet entities/domains that offer gambling that can be accessed through IP addresses in Romania, if these entities/internet domains do not have an organisation licence and operating authorisation issued by the ONJN.
- Operators holding a B2B licence for the production and distribution of software, and/or hosting and platform management services, and/or payment processing activities are required to implement technical measures that allow the identification of the real location of players, regardless of the information shared as a result of the integration of the services with the gaming platform operated by the B2C operator.
- In each case where operators holding a B2B licence for the production and distribution of software, and/or platform hosting and management services, and/or payment processing activities identify that unlicensed B2C operators offer their services to players accessing the gaming platform in Romania, or to Romanian players who do not have tax residence in another state, they must restrict players' access to their systems and must immediately request unlicensed B2C operators to remedy the situation, so that the services of those unlicensed operators are no longer accessible from the territory of Romania.
These provisions effectively turn licensed B2B providers into first-line enforcers against unauthorised market activity, making technical compliance a cornerstone of regulatory responsibility.
New reporting obligations to the ONJN. The 2025 framework also introduced new reporting duties for B2B operators engaged in software production and distribution, hosting and platform management, and payment processing. Two distinct reporting mechanisms now apply:
- Ad-hoc reporting: Operators must be able to provide ONJN, upon request, with a report detailing (i) the list of states on whose territory the IT system is accessed by the players, and (ii) the identification details of the entities that allow access to Romanian players or Romanian citizens who do not have tax residence in another state.
- Monthly reporting: No later than the 10th of each month, operators must submit to ONJN a centralised statement covering the previous month, indicating (i) the number of players for whom access has been blocked, and (ii) the internet domains, platforms or applications through which this access has been attempted.
A legislative proposal approved by Parliament in late September seeks to simplify the current framework. The amendment, developed following consultations with the industry, would remove the phrase "Romanian citizens who do not have tax residence in another state." Once enacted, the rule would apply only to B2C operators allowing access from within Romanian territory. This adjustment is expected to reduce administrative complexity while maintaining fairness and the underlying goal of protecting the regulated market.
Licensing conditions and tax levels after the reforms
Despite multiple legislative changes since 2016, Romania's licensing framework for B2B suppliers has retained its key strength: simplicity. The regime remains clear, predictable, and comparatively light in administrative burden.
The legislation sets out nine distinct categories of B2B licences, each linked to the type of service that triggers the licensing obligation: (i) auditors, (ii) testing and certification laboratories, (iii) conformity assessment bodies, (iv) production, maintenance and acquisition of land-based gaming equipment and related software, (v) software production and distribution, (vi) platform hosting and management (including data centres), (vii) live studio operations, (viii) affiliates, and (ix) payment processors.
The licensing process mainly involves submission of corporate documents (such as certificate of registration, good-standing certificate, and Articles of Association), criminal record certificates for director(s) and shareholder(s) and proof of IP rights. There is no list of games and other information that must be provided in the licensing process or after as a B2B entity, save for (i) the live studios which are required to approve every extension of the location and (ii) the licence for operations with land-based gaming equipment that are subject to certain specific notifications. All product-level approvals occur at the B2C operator level.
All licence types come with a uniform annual fee of EUR 20,000. Additionally, a mandatory responsible gambling contribution of EUR 15,000 per year applies. Such fees are flat and are not influenced by the GGR.
While recent legislative reforms increased obligations for B2B operators, the core licensing framework remains attractive. There are no additional licensing fees or complex financial requirements beyond the standard annual fee, allowing for an expediate market entry. In addition, Romania maintains a streamlined path toward obtaining a Recognition Notice from the Maltese Gaming Authority, a key advantage for suppliers seeking to leverage their Romanian licence in Malta or other EU jurisdictions.
Looking ahead: 2026 and the first licence renewal cycle
As the market matures, 2026 is set to mark another defining moment for Romania's gambling industry –the first renewal cycle for the 10-year B2B licences originally granted in 2016. This milestone will close the first chapter of Romania's regulated online market and provide valuable insight into how the system performs in the long term.
For both the regulator and industry stakeholders, the upcoming renewals represent an opportunity to assess how the market has evolved under a decade of stable regulation and what adjustments may be needed to ensure continued growth and compliance.
It will also be a critical test of Romania's ability to maintain its balance between openness and oversight, confirming whether the framework can remain as efficient and attractive in its second cycle as it was when the market first opened. The industry will undoubtedly be watching closely as 2026 unfolds.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
