Gambling Expense Limit in Romania: New Bill
Restrictions for Players
Romanian authorities have proposed a bill that will limit gambling expenses to 10% of a player’s monthly income. For example, with an income of €1,000, a player will be allowed to spend a maximum of €100 on betting and casinos. These measures apply to both online gambling and land-based establishments.
Main Changes
Monitoring Player Expenses
- The Romanian Tax Authority (ANAF) will create an online platform to monitor players’ available balances.
- All operators must integrate with banking systems to track user spending.
- Banks and financial institutions will monitor players’ expenses. Violations will result in a fine of 1% of turnover.
Fines and Sanctions
- Operators violating the restrictions will face fines ranging from €40,000 to €100,000.
- Repeated violations will lead to license revocation.
- Casinos must verify players’ financial solvency before accepting bets.
- Operators must immediately report player expenses to ANAF to prevent circumvention of limits across different platforms.
Impact on the Industry
Conditions for Operators
- Companies must be registered in Romania or in the EU/EEA with a permanent tax presence.
- License fees for online operators have been increased to €300,000.
- Annual contributions to responsible gambling have increased from €5,000 to €500,000.
- B2B licenses have risen from €9,500 to €20,000.
Implementation Timeline
Operators are given 6 months to comply with the new requirements. They can:
- Transfer their license to a Romanian company.
- Register a permanent establishment and request a license reassignment.
- Apply for a new license through a Romanian legal entity.
Social Aspect
In Romania, 1.5 million people actively participate in gambling. Up to 10% of them show signs of gambling addiction. Among regular players:
- 8% of the adult population gamble weekly.
- The main group consists of young men aged 18-24.
- The average income of a regular player is €562.
The bill simplifies the self-exclusion procedure: players register on all licensed platforms, preventing them from bypassing restrictions.
Expected Financial Results
| Year | Expected Revenue (€ million) |
|---|---|
| Current Year | 26.59 |
| 2024 | 90 |
| 2025 | 94.5 |
The state will also redistribute tax revenues: 70% will go to the budget, while 30% will be allocated to gambling addiction prevention. The introduction of new regulations is part of broader measures to combat problem gambling.