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Do you want to know how to start a sports betting business in Romania but have no idea how to launch a successful business? Then this guide will help you!
It is well known that Romania is one of the popular countries considered a betting hotspot. The establishment of a sports betting business is at its peak right now and is expected to flourish in the coming years. This is because Romania offers a promising market for the well-regulated betting business, allowing operators to gain great profit margins and easily secure licenses from the regulating body.
Thriving in the growing market of Romania as an operator can be difficult since the market is extremely competitive, however, with a trusted betting software provider and thorough market knowledge you can gain a competitive edge over your competitors. Therefore, let’s start from the basics to understand how you can set up a successful betting business and what are the prerequisites for the same.
An Overview of the Betting Industry in Romania
Betting is witnessing a surge in Romania due to its accessibility and convenience due to the wide range of sports events the players witness there as well as the compatibility of the sportsbook platform with mobile phones.
According to market research and current stats, the sports betting industry is anticipated to reach US $433.48 Billion this year and US $521.62 by 2029. The total revenue is likely to show an annual CAGR of 4.74% between 2025 - 2029. In addition, the user penetration rate is also expected to rise and hit 4.8% by 2029, showcasing the increasing popularity of betting amongst Romanians.
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Step-by-Step Guide to Start Your Own Betting Business in Romania
As intriguing as it seems to open a betting business, several things come in handy with it. With the right knowledge and expertise, it can be done, however, there are a few important considerations that require your attention. If you are someone who probably wants to start but has no idea how to open a sports betting business in Romania, then refer to this section for a detailed understanding of the same.
Thorough Market Research
A thorough understanding of the market and your target audience is crucial before starting your betting business. It helps you analyse the trends, market, gaps, challenges, and customer preferences as well as your competitors. It helps you position your business well by adjusting the services and strategies to make informed decisions concerning your business.
Forge a Solid Business Plan
A solid business plan steps up your game exponentially as when you start defining your business goals and objectives, it gives you the direction you require to set up your business. It includes your vision, goals, budget, timeframe, targets, significant milestones and more.
Consider Legalities and Licensing
Once you have created a business plan and have your vision sorted, you need to move ahead with the registration process of your betting business. As you are looking to start your own betting business in Romania, you need to follow all the rules and regulations concerning the Romanian jurisdiction. Acquire necessary permits and licenses from their National Gambling Office (ONJN), to move ahead smoothly.
Consult a Betting Software Provider
You might need a software provider to help you build your betting platform, therefore, ensure that you shortlist a few options and choose a reputable provider. Some providers even help you with the licensing, along with providing you with end-to-end development concerning building your betting platform.
Integrate API and Tools
Choose from an array of tools and API integrations you might want in your platform. There are several tools you might want to consider such as risk management tools, data analytics, and game management tools. API integrations also make communication across platforms a lot more convenient for the wagers placing bets on your platform, which makes your platform more efficient and user-friendly.
Add Payment Gateways
After all the tools and 3rd party integrations, you should move ahead with the payment section, which is the crucial part of your entire platform. Integrate all payment gateways to make this step soviet for your users for a flexible payment approach. When you consider your target audience’s convenience regarding payment, it enhances their overall experience and satisfaction, which keeps them coming for more.
Implement Marketing and Branding Strategies
As important as the creation of your platform is, ensure that you choose distinctive yet appropriate marketing strategies that align with your targets. Market your betting business on different platforms, and leave a little budget for branding as this is what drives traffic to your platform by reaching out to the maximum audience.
Launch your Betting Business
This is the last step, which arrives after you are done with all the above-mentioned steps. Now that you have everything in place, all the permissions, licenses, full-fledged integrated platform and more, you are finally ready to launch your betting platform in the industry. Have a great support team in place as well, to address the queries and concerns of your platform users, as it is the key to customer retention.
Romanian Normative Acts Under which Gambling is Permitted
Under Romanian Law, betting activities are legalized and regulated for three types of betting which are fixed-odds betting, exchange betting and mutual betting respectively.
Business operators are required to be fully compliant with the electronic and technological guidelines they want to establish their business in and start in-land betting for installing betting terminals.
- Government Ordinance No. 77/2009: On the Organization and Operation of Gambling
- Government Ordinance No. 111/2016: For the approval of methodological norms for implementation of 77/2009.
- Government Ordinance No. 20/2013: On the organization of functioning of the National Gambling Office (ONJN) and for the modification and supplementation of 77/2009.
- Government Ordinance No. 298/2013: On the organization and functioning of the National Gambling Office.
- Government Order issued by the President of ONJN (48/2016): For the approval of the procedure for fulfilling the conditions for connecting land-based slot machines and betting-type games of chance.
Romanian Gambling permits the regulation of betting products offered in the Romanian Market, for both in-land and online operators, however, after obtaining the necessary permits and license by the operator from authorities.
Reporting the revenues generated is a must for both land-based and online betting operators.
Moreover, there is another Act no, 12/2019 imposed as a requirement for combating the possible AML and criminal activities. At the end of 2021, the regulatory body issued how implementing AML is crucial to the industry and this ordinance was effective from January 2022.
The Legislation of Romania Regulates The Following Licenses
Lawfully the operators must obtain the following licenses in Romania as categorized by the Authority:
Class 1 License and Several Related Authorization
License 1 and related authorizations must be obtained by a B2C operator to organize a game of chance and other related services in the Romanian Market (for both land-based and online operators).
Class 2 License
The National Gambling Office(ONJN) categorizes B2B providers under the Class 2 License who specialize in providing services or offerings to B2C operators.
Categories under the Class 2 License regulated by ONJN are as follows:
- Manufacturers, distributors and other bodies performing activities with gaming means(relevant for both land-based and online sectors)
- Gambling Software providers
- Providers of platform management and hosting services or data centres
- Live Casino Streaming services provider
- Certification Laboratories, Authitos and Conformity Assessment Bodies
- Payment Processors
- Marketing Affiliates
Class 3 License
Granted to the Operators having a legal monopoly over the organization of land-based and online lottery games by the Romanian National Lottery.
Annual Fee Imposed in Romania
An authorization tax is levied on online gambling activities on an annual basis where 23% of the revenue generated from gambling activities would be paid annually, however, it cannot be less than EUR 120,000 per annum.
Licensed Online operators are required to pay an amount of EUR 5,000 annually for responsible gambling contributions.
An Online operator is required to pay an annual license tax on the operator’s turnover, ranging from EUR 15,600 per year(for annual turnover of less than EUR 500,000) to EUR 312,000 per year( turnover exceeding EUR 10 Million).
Gambling operators must pay a new administrative tax of EUR 150 per approval request for the documentation related to recertification of the integration of new online games into the business.
Future of Sports Betting in Romania
The Sports Betting business in Romania is expected to be bright as unprecedented growth has been seen amongst Romanians concerning betting. There are also expected technical innovations, enhanced regulations as well and promotion of safe betting strategies can be seen to be improved drastically changing the entire dynamics of the betting industry in Romania. In the coming years with the advent of technology, there can be an increasing focus of the operators on mobile sports betting, which will dominate the industry as more bettors will shift to mobile experiences.
User penetration will witness growth as the mobile apps offer greater convenience to the bettors, allowing them to place bets from anywhere in the world. Therefore, it can be said that as the industry shifts, there will be bigger resources for scalability and opportunities for the operators to boost player engagement on their platforms.
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How can Gammastack help you open a sportsbook Business in Romania?
GammaStack is a renowned and reputable sportsbook business provider which offers end-to-end betting platform development. With a global reach and 13+ years of experience, GammaStack has created plenty of feature-reach, licensed and fully integrated platforms for the industry operators. If you have no clue how to start a sports betting business in Romania, GammaStack is the right place for you.
There are no stones that are left unturned by the team of 100+ professionals who continuously work to deliver the requirements of the business operators. Get constant customer support, bespoke solutions, full legal compliance, omnichannel compatibility as well as risk management tools for a successful business set-up.
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Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)
Yes, betting and gambling were legalized in Romania in 2015 only. The regulatory body of Romania commonly known as ONJN or National Gambling Office has regulated the betting business in Romania however on obtaining the necessary license.
There cannot be a definite time frame which can be given to the operators as it depends on the complexity and choices of the project.
There are several features that a versatile betting platform includes but is not limited to, PAM, Live odds, live trading, bonus management, CRM, responsible gambling, and multi linguistic and multi currency support.
Setting up a betting business in Romania may be a complex subject to figure out on your own however, it can be a straightforward process when partnered with the right software provider that helps you curate a full-fledged betting platform consisting of necessary integrations, intuitive designs and more.
Yes, GammaStack provides multi channel support across web, mobile, retail, and kiosks without any hassle.
