Romanian regulator targets players in black market crackdown

Romania’s National Gambling Office (ONJN) will target players who use unlicensed sites as the regulator begins a crackdown on the black market as its back tax amnesty comes to an end.

Operators who wish to continue accepting bets from the country were required to acquire a licence – and pay tax on operations dating back to December 2010 – by the end of last month.

And ONJN president Cristinela Odeta Nestor told eGaming Review the operator would now open legal proceedings against unlicensed operators while also taking action against players using the sites.

“Be assured that we will take actions against those who cause the violations of the law provisions, be they operators, persons providing related services or players,” Nestor told eGR.

According to local media reports, around 40,000 players have used unlicensed sites since the introduction of regulation, and those players could now be subject to fines ranging from £800 to £1,600.

The new laws require players to verify if an online operator is licensed in the country by checking for a licence number on the operator’s website.

However, one industry source in Romania told eGR the regulator is more likely to use the threat of player fines as a way of pressuring unlicensed operators to cease activity in the country, rather than issuing a significant number of penalties.

Nestor also said legal proceedings had been opened against a number of unnamed operators offering gambling without a licence.

Several operators have withdrawn from Romania since the introduction of the back tax requirement for licensure, including William Hill.

However, others have agreed to pay the tax and re-enter the market, including Betfair, PokerStars and 888.