Europe · ONJN · Class 2 affiliate licence · EU market
Romania Affiliate Licence
Romania is the EU's other real affiliate licence. The ONJN licenses gambling affiliates under Class 2 — the same class as B2B suppliers — and a Romanian-licensed operator cannot lawfully run its programme through an unlicensed affiliate. At €20,000 a year plus a €15,000 responsible-gambling contribution it is a serious commitment priced for serious traffic — and the gate between you and one of Europe's fastest-growing regulated markets. Vantegris prepares and files the Class 2 application end to end.
overview
What is the Romania gaming licence?
Romania licenses gambling affiliates directly — one of only a handful of EU states that does. Under Government Emergency Ordinance 77/2009 as amended, an affiliate is any natural or legal person who earns revenue under a contract with a B2C online operator for players redirected to that operator's site. That activity requires a Class 2 licence from the ONJN, the National Gambling Office — the same licence class that covers B2B suppliers like platform and game providers.
The commercial logic mirrors Greece's regime with a heavier price tag: a Romanian-licensed operator cannot lawfully run Romanian-facing affiliation through an unlicensed partner, and licensed affiliates must file every affiliation contract they sign with the ONJN — the regulator sees the whole map of who promotes whom. The economics filter the market deliberately. At €20,000 a year plus the €15,000 responsible-gambling contribution that OUG 82/2023 raised from a symbolic €1,000, Romania is not a badge you collect — it is a licence you buy because Romanian traffic pays for it. For affiliates with real volume in one of Europe's most engaged gambling markets, it does: the licence removes the single legal obstacle between your traffic and every licensed .ro brand, and the 10-year term means one application carries you for a decade of annual renewals.
advantages
Why operators pick Romania
The Class 2 licence is what lets a .ro-licensed operator lawfully sign and pay you for Romanian traffic.
Ten-year validity with annual payments — one application, long horizon.
An ONJN licence is a compliance signal tier-1 brands verify when auditing their affiliate stack.
Most EU states license no affiliates at all; holding both Romania and Greece covers the EU's two real regimes.
Romania is one of Europe's most engaged, fastest-growing regulated gambling markets — the fee maths work at volume.
head to head
Romania vs. Greece: the EU's two affiliate licences
| Criteria | Romania (ONJN Class 2) | Greece (HGC suitability) |
|---|---|---|
| Regulator | ONJN | HGC (ΕΕΕΠ) |
| Government cost | €20,000/yr + €15,000 RG + €10,500 issuance | €1,000 registration |
| Term | 10 years, annual payments | Register and maintain — no term published |
| Contract duty | All affiliation contracts filed with the ONJN | Domain schedule declared; 20-day change notices |
| Best for | Volume affiliates monetising .ro traffic | Any affiliate entering a regulated EU market cheaply |
| Combined | Both together cover the EU's two licensed-affiliate markets | — |
who it's for
Who the Romania gaming licence suits
requirements
Romania gaming licence requirements
step by step
How to get a Romania gaming licence
- Scope & economics Confirm your Romanian volume justifies the fee stack, and which entity applies. Days
- Corporate & KYC pack Company documents, ownership, financials and background checks assembled. 1–2 weeks
- Build the file Application forms, compliance policies and the document set in ONJN-ready form. 1–2 weeks
- File with the ONJN Submit with the issuance fee and manage the regulator's review and queries. ≈45–60 days in practice
- Licensed & contracted Licence granted; affiliation contracts signed and filed with the ONJN as you onboard operators. On approval
Not sure Romania is the right fit?
Tell us your product and target markets — we'll confirm whether Romania or another jurisdiction gets you live fastest, at the lowest all-in cost.
pricing
How much does a Romania gaming licence cost?
- Eligibility and economics review
- Corporate and KYC document pack
- ONJN application prepared and filed
- Regulator queries handled to decision
- Everything in Application
- Entity setup or readiness review
- Advertising & responsible-gambling compliance review of your sites
- First affiliation contracts filed with the ONJN
- Everything in Turnkey
- Annual fee and contribution calendar managed
- Ongoing contract filings as you add operators
- Regulatory-change monitoring (the law is actively evolving)
Year one runs €45,500 in government money (€10,500 issuance + €20,000 licence + €15,000 responsible-gambling contribution); every following year is €35,000. Two things we will not invent: the ONJN publishes no statutory processing deadline — ≈45–60 days from a complete file is practice, not law — and the affiliate-specific fine schedule is something we confirm against the current text when we scope your file. Romania's gambling law is actively evolving (OUG 82/2023 reshaped fees; Law 141/2025 added supplier duties), so we re-verify the numbers at engagement.
obligations
Compliance obligations in Romania
technical standards
Technical & IT standards in Romania
after launch
After you go live in Romania
market access
Which markets a Romania licence reaches
The Class 2 licence covers affiliate activity toward players in Romania. It is a national credential — there is no EU passport for affiliate licensing. Pairing it with the Greek HGC suitability licence covers the EU's two genuinely licensed affiliate markets; everywhere else in the Union, affiliation is governed by the operator's licence conditions rather than a licence of your own.
Operators must use GEO-IP blocking for restricted countries and any FATF-blacklisted nation. Non-compliance can lead to licence suspension or revocation.
Romania gaming licence FAQ
Does Romania really license gambling affiliates?
Yes. Under GEO 77/2009 as amended, an affiliate — any person earning revenue under a contract with a B2C online operator for players redirected to it — must hold a Class 2 licence from the ONJN, the same class that covers B2B suppliers. Licensed affiliates must also file every affiliation contract with the regulator.
What does the Romania affiliate licence cost?
Government money: a €10,500 issuance fee, then €20,000 a year in licence fees plus a €15,000 annual responsible-gambling contribution — €45,500 in year one, €35,000 a year after. OUG 82/2023 raised the RG contribution from a symbolic €1,000, deliberately pricing the licence for affiliates with real volume.
How long is it valid and how fast is approval?
The licence runs ten years, kept alive by the annual payments. On timing we won't invent what the regulator hasn't published: there is no statutory SLA, and in practice a complete file runs ≈45–60 days to decision. Document readiness is the variable that matters.
Do I need it if my company is outside Romania?
The trigger is the activity, not your domicile: earning revenue for players you redirect to Romanian-licensed operators puts you inside the regime wherever you sit. In practice the market enforces it before the regulator does — .ro-licensed operators can only run their programmes through licensed affiliates.
Romania or Greece — which affiliate licence first?
Different tools. Greece costs €1,000 and opens a regulated EU market cheaply — the natural first licence. Romania costs €35,000 a year and makes sense when your Romanian traffic already earns multiples of that. Serious EU affiliate businesses end up holding both — see our Greece affiliate licence page for the other half.
What happens if I promote to Romania without it?
No licensed operator can lawfully contract or pay you, which removes the revenue; the operator side risks sanctions for using an unlicensed affiliate, so compliance teams check first. Beyond that, Romania actively polices unlicensed promotion — the honest answer on the affiliate-specific fine schedule is that we confirm it against the current text at engagement rather than quote folklore.
Reviewed by the Vantegris licensing team · Last updated July 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice. Licensing requirements vary by jurisdiction and change over time.
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