In Romania, a Class I license is for operators that offer gambling to players in Romania (B2C), and it must be followed by an annual operating authorization. A Class II license is for businesses that supply those operators (B2B): game studios, platform and aggregation providers, live studios, payment processors, testing labs and affiliates. Both are issued by ONJN under GEO 77/2009 for 10 years. A Class II license typically takes 8–12 weeks; Class I takes longer because the platform is technically authorized as well.
- Class I = operators (B2C): you take bets from players in Romania. Class II = suppliers (B2B): you perform a Class II activity (games, platforms, payments, testing, affiliate services) for Romanian Class I operators.
- Class II is issued per activity (producer, distributor, payment processing, testing, affiliate…). A studio that also processes payments needs both activities licensed.
- Class I needs a Romanian company or a Romanian permanent establishment. Class II can be held directly by an EU, EEA or Swiss company with an authorized representative in Romania.
- Class II year-one government cost is €45,500 (€10,500 one-off fee, €20,000 license fee, €15,000 social contribution); Class I is far more expensive and adds the operating authorization.
- Both licenses run for 10 years but stay valid only with annual fees, annual compliance documentation and monthly reporting. 2026 brings the first renewal cycle and stricter supply-chain enforcement.
Romania licenses the whole gambling supply chain, not just the operators. That makes the choice between a Class I and a Class II license the first structural decision for any iGaming business entering the market: it decides which company holds the license, which contracts you can sign, how banks and payment providers assess you, and what you report to the regulator every month.
Two licenses, one supply chain
Both licenses are issued by the National Gambling Office (Oficiul Național pentru Jocuri de Noroc, ONJN), under the Ministry of Finance, on the basis of Government Emergency Ordinance (GEO) 77/2009, as amended (most recently by GEO 82/2023 and GEO 7/2026), and its implementing rules in Government Decision (GD) 111/2016.
- Class I licenses the organizers of gambling: the companies that take bets from players in Romania.
- Class II licenses suppliers of those organizers whose activity is listed in the law: software, platforms, game content, live studios, payment processing, testing and affiliate marketing.
The two are linked: a Class I operator may only work with licensed Class II suppliers, and a Class II supplier may not serve operators that target Romania without a license. A gap anywhere in the chain is a compliance risk for both sides.
What is a Class I license?
A Class I license is the operator (B2C) license. You need it if your company offers gambling directly to players in Romania, online or land-based:
- online casino and live casino;
- sports and event betting;
- poker, bingo and other games where players stake money;
- slot halls and casinos (land-based).
Holding the license is not enough to go live. Class I operators also need an operating authorization, issued per platform for online gambling (per location or equipment for land-based) and renewed every year. The holder must be a Romanian company or an EU/EEA company with a Romanian permanent establishment; online operators also need servers or a mirror in Romania and real-time data access for ONJN.
What is a Class II license?
A Class II license is the supplier (B2B) license. You need it if you carry out one of the Class II activities defined in GEO 77/2009 for Romanian Class I operators, even if you never deal with a player. Services outside those activities, such as general IT or legal services, do not need it. It is issued per activity, so the license lists exactly what you are allowed to do:
- Producers: game studios and developers of slots, table games, RNG and game logic;
- Distributors and platforms: platform, remote game server (RGS) and aggregation providers;
- Live casino studios streaming games to operators;
- Payment processing for deposits and withdrawals of licensed operators;
- Testing and certification laboratories;
- Affiliates and marketing earning commission or fees from Class I operators.
Class II needs no operating authorization: the license itself allows the activity. It can be held directly by an EU, EEA or Swiss company with an authorized representative in Romania, or by a Romanian SRL. See our Class II guide for the activities and the file in detail.
Class I vs Class II side by side
| Class I (B2C) | Class II (B2B) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who needs it | Operators offering gambling to players in Romania | Suppliers whose products or services reach Romanian Class I operators |
| Who can apply | Romanian company, or EU/EEA company with a Romanian permanent establishment | Romanian SRL, or EU/EEA/Swiss company directly with a local representative |
| After the license | Annual operating authorization per platform or location | None |
| Players | Serves players in Romania; responsible for player funds, KYC and self-exclusion | No direct player relationship |
| Who you may work with | Only licensed Class II suppliers | Only licensed Class I operators when serving Romania |
| Validity | 10 years | 10 years |
| Typical timeline | Several months: license, then technical authorization | 8–12 weeks from engagement |
| Reporting | Monthly reports, real-time data access, gambling taxes | Monthly reports by the 10th of the following month; content depends on the activity, with extra technical duties for some categories |
Which one do you need?
Ask one question: do players in Romania place money with you?
- Yes: you are an organizer and need Class I plus the operating authorization. Example: a sportsbook that accepts bets, manages player accounts and pays withdrawals.
- No, but I perform a Class II activity for Romanian operators (games, platforms, distribution, payments, testing, affiliate services): you need Class II for each such activity. Example: a game aggregator that connects studios to operators needs Class II as a distributor; if it also builds its own games, it adds the producer activity.
- No, and nothing I do reaches the Romanian market: you do not need a Romanian license, but you may still choose Class II as an EU B2B license that operators and payment providers recognize.
Not sure where your model falls? The 90-second project questions map your business to the right class and activities.
Costs and timelines
Class II government costs are fixed and do not depend on revenue: a one-off fee of €10,500, a license fee of €20,000 and a social responsibility contribution of €15,000, so €45,500 in year one. There is no separate file-analysis fee for Class II. A typical Class II license takes 8–12 weeks: two to four weeks to prepare and translate the file, then 30–60 days of ONJN review on a complete file. Every fee and the 10-year total are in how much the Class II license costs, and the file itself in Class II conditions, documents and procedure.
Class I is a different order of magnitude: a file-analysis fee, license fees set by GD 111/2016 for the type of gambling, the annual operating authorization and gambling taxes on revenue. It also takes longer, because the platform goes through a technical review before the authorization is issued. We set out current figures for your products in your roadmap.
After licensing: obligations
Both licenses run for 10 years, but they stay in force only while the holder keeps up with:
- monthly reports to ONJN by the 10th of the following month;
- annual license fees and annual compliance documentation, on time;
- change notifications: online changes within 48 hours, offline changes within 5 days;
- recertification before material technical updates;
- AML/CFT duties under Law 129/2019;
- for Class I, the annual operating authorization, gambling taxes and integration with the national self-exclusion registry.
Foreign Class II holders handle most of this through their Romanian representative; see our representation service and ONJN reporting and compliance, and the full calendar in Class II obligations: reporting and compliance.
What changed in 2026
- First renewal cycle. Licenses issued in 2016 reach the end of their 10-year term. Renewal comes with a full review of reporting history, integrations and compliance; start 6–12 months before expiry.
- Supply-chain enforcement. ONJN enforces the ban on Class II holders serving operators that target Romania without a license, with blocking and reporting expected and the license at risk for breaches.
- Local approval for venues. GEO 7/2026 gave local authorities a say over land-based gambling venues, which affects Class I land-based operators.
- National self-exclusion. The registry set up by ONJN Order 79/2025 applies to every operator; services that touch player accounts must integrate with it.
- Advertising. Stricter enforcement of advertising rules, with affiliates in scope.
Common mistakes
- "We are just a technology provider." If your games, platform or payment service reach Romanian operators, you perform a licensed Class II activity.
- Licensing only part of what you do. Class II is per activity: a studio that also aggregates or processes payments needs each activity on its license.
- Relying on an offshore license. Curaçao, Anjouan or Malta licenses do not authorize supplying the Romanian market.
- Mixing B2C and B2B in one entity. Operating and supplying from the same company complicates bank onboarding and concentrates regulatory risk; most groups separate them.
- Forgetting the obligations. Missed monthly reports or annual fees put a 10-year license at risk.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a Class I and a Class II license in Romania?
Class I is the operator (B2C) license for companies that offer gambling to players in Romania, online or land-based, and is followed by an annual operating authorization. Class II is the supplier (B2B) license for companies whose games, platforms, payment services, testing or affiliate services reach Romanian Class I operators. Class II needs no operating authorization.
Does a game studio need a Class I or Class II license in Romania?
A Class II license. Game studios supply licensed operators rather than players, so they hold Class II for the producer activity, and for distribution if they also deliver content to operators.
Do affiliates need a license in Romania?
Yes. Affiliates that earn commission or fees from Romanian Class I operators need a Class II license for affiliate services.
Can a foreign company hold a Romanian Class II license?
Yes, if it is established in the EU, the EEA or Switzerland. It applies directly and appoints an authorized representative in Romania. Groups from outside the EU/EEA use a Romanian SRL or an EU company in the group.
Who can hold a Romanian Class I license?
A Romanian company, or an EU/EEA company operating through a permanent establishment in Romania. Online operators also need servers or a mirror in Romania and real-time data access for ONJN.
How much does a Romanian Class II license cost in 2026?
The government cost in year one is €45,500: a one-off €10,500 fee, a €20,000 license fee and a €15,000 social responsibility contribution. These amounts are fixed and do not depend on revenue. Professional, translation and representation costs come on top.
How long does it take to get a Class II license?
Typically 8–12 weeks from engagement: two to four weeks to prepare the file, then 30–60 days of ONJN review on a complete file.
Can one company hold both Class I and Class II?
Groups usually separate them. An operator holds Class I and buys from licensed Class II suppliers; a group that also builds its own platform or processes payments puts those activities in a separate Class II entity, which keeps risk and bank onboarding cleaner.
What changed in 2026?
The first 10-year licenses issued in 2016 come up for renewal with a full compliance review, ONJN enforces the ban on supplying unlicensed operators more strictly, GEO 7/2026 added local approval for land-based venues, and every operator must use the national self-exclusion registry.
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