Romanian players can see the top betting sites in their country from our table below. Find out more details about them. Learn more about the welcome bonus amount, percentage of sign up promotion, minimum deposit and odds.
Leading Online Bookmakers in Romania
Beyond that the respected reputations of those gambling venues operating locally, Romanian players have at this disposal, as a result of its 2009 and subsequent 2016 gambling act amendments, the ability to play with a variety of leading online bookmakers who cater to those residing in the country. This permits the ability to access a generous assortment of high-quality online betting venues, all of which are established and respected for their honesty, integrity, and gaming range. This includes sports betting, casino gaming, virtual sports, bingo, and poker, to name a few.
Bet365
Based in the United Kingdom, this betting operator was founded in 2000 as an online sportsbook but has since gone on to become known as the largest online betting exchange catering to players worldwide. It provides a unique opportunity to bet against other players. In addition to its betting exchange and sportsbook, Bet365 features an extensive collection of betting markets such as an online casino, live casino, poker, virtual sports, bingo, arcade, and vegas slots and exchange games.
- Pros
- World leader in the market
- Innovative and growing brand
- Strong customer support
- Legal and regulated operator
- Secure betting environment
- Cons
- Many restrictions
Betano
The bookmaker, a relatively new entry into the world of casino betting, established itself in 2016 and has a strong focus on the European market. Licensed by the authorities in Malta, Betano affords Romanian players online and mobile casino and live dealer betting opportunities through a variety of leading software suppliers such as NetEnt, Red Tiger Gaming, and Play’n Go.
- Pros
- Fast-growing company
- Legal and licensed in Romania
- Excellent odds
- Premium betting features
- Exciting casino
- Cons
- Limited payment options
888sport
Publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange, 888Sports was established in 1997 and as part of 888 Holdings, its parent company. Since then 888Sports has grown into an internationally recognised sportsbook offering a wide selection of sports as well as live betting opportunities to a global audience of players.
- Pros
- Great deal of sports markets
- Licensed and secure brand
- Excellent design
- Superb betting environment and odds
- Top-notch casino providers
- Cons
- Slow support
- Lagging mobile in-play section
Betwinner
Betwinner is a fascinating, Russia-based brand that is licensed in Curacao. It offers its services in Europe and has started to target the African market in the past few years. Despite the fact that the platform Betwinner does not have a license issued by the Romanian authorities, many Romanian players prefer betting on it because it provides excellent odds and many useful bonuses.
- Pros
- Superb odds
- Premium bonuses
- Useful betting features
- Excellent sportsbook
- Many casino game
- Cons
- No license in Romania
- Needs a mirror link
22Bet
22Bet is another fast-growing company which offers its services to Romanian bettors, even though it is not regulated legally by the Romanian government. Instead, 22Bet operates using a license issued by the Curaçao authorities. The platform is translated into many languages, including Romanian. The players like visiting this brand because of its various betting section. Aside from the standard sportsbook and casino, the brand invites its customers to additional sections, such as Bingo, TV Games, Fast Games, 22Games and Jackpot.
- Pros
- Various betting sections
- Competitive odds
- Manu betting features
- Good sportsbook
- Romanian translation
- Cons
- No license in Romania
- Mirror link needed
Why Choose Online Betting in Romania?
Romania is a country within Eastern Europe that while having high rates of poverty, is quickly developing into an economy where upper-middle incomes are commonplace. Its workforce is comprised of both skilled and unskilled resulting in the EU designating it the 10th largest country in terms of purchasing power.
While the country is not known for being one with a strong betting culture due to restrictive laws that, until its past regime was overthrown, prohibited the act until 1990. After that change in leadership and the creation of the National Gambling Office, betting activities began to become more accepted, and today it is estimated over 45% of its population engages in some form of gambling, whether it relates to lottery purchases, online betting or sports betting. That increase is in direct relation to Romania’s economy growing at a rapid pace, in part due to exports such as machinery, pharmaceuticals, plastics and rubber, electrical equipment, food products, and chemical goods. Adding to its economy is a growing tech industry that is drawing in multiple start up’s and with it, a more globally educated demographic that enjoys a broader range of entertainment activities.
Gambling Facts at a Glance
CurrencyAs an independent European country, the national currency in Romania is the Romanian Leu. While the Euro is accepted, generally most businesses recognised the Leu as its legal currency of choice. | |
PopulationAs of 2019, the estimated population residing within the borders of Romania is 19.36 million. It is the 61st most populated country in the world, covers an area of 348,931 square kilometres and borders the countries of Hungary, Ukraine, Moldova, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Montenegro. | |
Active playersThere are an estimated 7,360,000 million who actively gamble in Romania. That represents approximately 45% of its population of whom engage in a variety of legal forms of betting including sports, casino games of chance, poker, bingo, local and international lotteries. | |
Regulatory authorityRomania’s agency responsible for the regulation of gambling is the National Gambling Office. Its mandate covers all forms of betting, including casino games such as slots and table games, bingo, poker, sports betting, fantasy betting, and lotteries. | |
Licensed gambling productsThe Romanian federal laws that govern the online gambling industry provides licenses to local and international operators to provide the following gambling products: casino games, bingo, poker, sports betting, fantasy betting, and lotteries. This applies to both online and land-based operators and establishments. | |
Types of operatorsNot considering the various offshore gambling operators such as Bet365, Betano, and 888Sport offering betting services to Romanians, the National Gambling Office issues licenses to the following:
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The act of gambling within the country of Romania was illegal until 1990. That changed after the country’s communist dictatorship, and following that historical change in power and leadership, its newly formed government passed legislation that legalised most forms of gambling. While there was no mention of online betting within its gambling laws, amendments were enacted in 2009 and again in 2016. The new ones included provisions for the legalising licensed betting sites, and at the same time, the creation of the National Gambling Office to regulate all forms of gambling both for those maintaining physically addresses within the borders of Romania and for those operating within an EU member state or country. The introduction of those amendments saw the increase of local and international betting companies actively offering a variety of sports, casino and lottery styled games to those wishing to gamble legally, and with it, a newly emerging market offering employment and investment opportunities.
Are there restrictions on Romanian players by some bookmakers?
While Romania has made substantial progress in relation to its regulation of online betting, it has been met with a large degree of criticism. That mostly centres on the governments imposing of back tax against operators for the years 2010 to 2015. It further surrounds the requiring of betting operators maintaining a physical presence in the country, and that ultimately has led to many of the world’s preeminent reliable betting sites opting to not apply for a license. While it is not illegal to bet with unlicensed bookmakers, Romanian punters may find many refusing to allow them to create accounts solely on their geographical location. Beyond this, and the limited number who are, there are no other real restrictions in place that would inhibit Romanian bettors from engaging in their preferred betting activities.
How to Choose the Right Online Betting Site
There are few reasons for enthusiasts of gambling in Romania not to partake in the pleasures and excitement that online betting affords, especially given the countries acceptance and legalisation of most virtually all forms of betting. As the countries laws do not forbid the right to play with those operating offshore, many are choosing to register with betting establishments that offer them a greater range of betting options. While favourable, selecting the right betting site can, at times for those less experienced, prove a to be a challenge based on trial and error. This leads to the question, how do you choose the right betting partner, and as such, what should be considered before making your selection. A few to consider include:
- Does the sportsbook or casino you are considering possess a valid license in good standing with a reputable regulatory authority such as the U.K Gambling Commission or Malta Gaming Authority?
- If interested in a sportsbook, does it include options such as live betting, live streaming, and sports exclusive promotions such as Best Odds Guaranteed?
- Is the site known for being reputable, offer non-predatory promotions and a wide range of betting markets as well as extensive funding methods, dedicated support services?
- Does it undergo random testing and audits to ensure regulatory compliance it is providing a safe, secure, and fair environment?
Bonuses for Romanian Players
Being that many of the sportsbooks serving the Romanian market rank among the best online, the range of bonuses are quite creative and generous. While most will not have an exclusive signup offer specifically focused towards for those in Romania, it will provide them the ability to take advantage of what seems like a never-ending list of bonuses such as welcome bonuses and free bets for their newest members. Not to forget its valued returning punters, many of the leading sports will feature weekly promotion such as price boosts, enhanced ACCA’s and many others, all in the pursuit to ensure value-added bonuses are a constant.
Romania is a culturally rich country with an equally rich history, and as such, its love of sports is well-documents within the fabric of its society. While many nations have singular focuses on particular sports, Romanians have a broader range that covers a variety of sports with its most popular, as it is with most European countries, is football. It’s second most popular is handball, a surprise to some, but well cemented within Romania, so much so that the country has amassed four Handball World Cup Championships. The list of sports based on popularity is as follows:
- Football
- Handball
- Basketball
- Rugby
- Tennis
- Gymnastics
Are Online Casinos Popular in Romania?
There is an undeniable fact that online casinos have a strong following around the world. Romania is among those nations that have a large number of its gambling public preferring online casino over that of more traditional gaming establishments, with an average 45% of the public regularly gambling in the country. That has seen many have found themselves drawn to the lucrative bonuses and superior gaming qualities that many of the world’s best casinos provide.
Romanians are expected to spend in excess of 1.2 billion in 2019. While exact percentages based on game popularity is not available, those who play with online casinos enjoy a wide spectrum of games from slots to table games. However, the inclusion of mobile gaming and live dealer games has introduced a new generation to the quality that is delivered, and estimates suggest an increase in payment providers will only heighten that awareness in the future.
Trivia/Did you know that…
- That Romania is home to one of the world’s most beautiful waterfalls, the Bigar Cascade Falls. Designated by the World Geography, it is located in the picturesque Caras-Severin region near the upper Anina River.
- Bram Stoker’s inspiration for his famous character Count Dracula was the result of Romanian Prince, Vlad Tepes, known for his fondness of impaling enemies.
- That the National sport in Romania is Olina, a sport similar to baseball that is played with a leather ball and bat.
- Romanians spend over 1.2 billion annually both online and offline at over 12,000 betting halls.
Available Mobile Apps
The availability and range of betting apps for sports betting has seen an explosion of interest as users experience an equal level of quality that they normally experience online. Fueling that interest is the excellent promotional offers and access to an ever-increasing range of betting markets from some of the world’s best sports betting entertainment venues such as Betano. As such, the experience derived from access sportsbooks through a mobile app is comparable to that received by their desktop counterparts due to the fully customisable interfaces and optimisation of sizing and touchscreen functionality.
Supported Payment Methods
Licensed online gambling providers in Romania and those within the European Union offer a full range of funding methods in Romania. In the general sense, many of those provided include those popular in other member states of Europe and include credit cards and select e-wallets and direct banking alternatives which have the authority to offer payment solutions within the country. Generally, those methods are most favoured due to the convenience and speed of processing each provides, and ultimately, the safety and privacy they afford, both when the need arises for funding into and withdrawing.
Romania previously levied a 25% tax on winnings resultant from gambling. However, that was amended in 2019 with changes applying to the Romanian Fiscal Code which forces online operators to withhold a 1% tax on winnings below €15.000, 16% tax on winnings ranging from €15.000 up to €100,000 and a staggering 25% on winnings that exceed €100,000. Those amendments also saw the implementation of a 2% tax towards online operators and for those operating in the retail sector, a 3% tax. The taxable amounts are based on deposits, and generally, operators absorb those costs versus applying them to punters.
FAQs
How can I be sure that a sportsbook will pay me my winnings?
A sportsbook will, unless in breach of its terms and conditions pay winnings when a withdrawal request is submitted. However, to gain a greater level of confidence, you can refer to respected sports betting sites such as Efirbet who often will provide feedback on a sportsbooks reputation.
I wish to investigate whether a sportsbooks license is in good standing. Is this possible, and if so, what steps do I take to accomplish this?
The process of investigating the license of a particular sportsbook is accomplished by visiting the licensing body and searching the name of the respective sportsbook. This will provide status updates about the status of its license and whether any active complaints are pending.
Will I be able to claim special bonuses if I register and fund my account using my mobile smartphone?
Generally speaking, most sportsbooks, irrespective of it being a mobile sportsbook will not provide mobile-exclusive bonuses. Instead, punters will be given access to its full range of promotions allowing them to bet via the platform of their choice.
I speak and read English, but feel more comfortable playing in my native language. Is this possible with online sportsbooks?
Yes. Most sportsbooks, if not all, who specifically cater to the Romanian market will allow them to select their preferred language. This will afford punters the ability to view game instructions, place bets, fund their accounts, process withdrawals and if required, get assistance in their native language.
How long will it take for my bets to be settled?
What is the legal age to gamble in Romania?
The legal age for gambling in Romania is 18. It should be noted that, if playing with an online sportsbook or casino, you will be required to verify your age through the submission of identity documents that indicated your date of birth. As a note of interest, those who travel to the country wishing to gamble at one of its licensed physical casinos are required to present a passport at the point of entry.
Final Comments
The progress made in the legalisation of betting in Romania has been seen as a big step forward in a country that previously was controlled by a communist dictatorship. It has allowed for a much more open and free society that has created an environment focused on being productive and more accepting. While its recent taxation laws relating to individual player winnings, and its subsequent demand for operator back taxes can be viewed as a cash grab, its openness and forward-thinking towards new technology and the advent of online gaming as a whole is refreshing. One cannot dismiss that it has created an increase in employment opportunities in a country that is experiencing substantial growth in the tech sector, which could, in turn, see new opportunities becoming available to its younger citizens and ultimately, increases its global attractiveness. That ultimately will attract the best bookmakers into the market and open up new betting opportunities as new markets emerge.
