Romania has one of Europe’s most developed gambling sectors, with casinos, card rooms, wagering shops, and slot machine parlors strewn about the country. Furthermore, because of the high percentage of internet access and the lack of online gambling regulation, the typical Romanian is likely to place bets online. Gambling and betting are deeply ingrained in Romanian culture, especially when it comes to football games. However, many gambling establishments are primarily due to a shortage of industry control during and after transforming communism to capitalism.

Romania’s gambling experience has been a rollercoaster in the last century or so, mirroring the country’s general history. Despite the event’s widespread popularity in the early twentieth century, the country’s participation in the Soviet Union from 1945 to 1989 resulted in a strict communist government outlawing all forms of gambling. Since then, both traditional and virtual gambling establishments have been welcomed by the democratic government.

How did Gambling Start in Romania?
Romania has a long history of legalising gambling and wagering practices dating back to Roman times. In Rome, dice games were popular, particularly among soldiers. Roman soldiers introduced dice games to the city, which served as the Empire’s eastern frontier. Gambling has a long history on the Balkan Peninsula, dating back to both European and Ottoman traditions.

When Romania obtained independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1859, it had no formal gambling rules. During this period, card games and sports betting were legal in the country, but there was no mechanism to ban or regulate them. The national lottery, which was founded in 1906, was Romania’s first authorized form of gambling. The lottery was used to finance social services such as schooling, healthcare, and sports, which became increasingly necessary as the country moved from a rural to an urban setting.

Romanian Online Casinos
The National Office for Gambling Games was founded in 2013 to issue permits and regulate online casinos. The office had submitted applications at the time of publishing, but no licenses had been given yet. Romanians, like people of most other nations, enjoy online gambling. Since the iGaming industry first emerged in the 1990s, citizens of the country were free to play at foreign-licensed online casinos. The majority of foreign casino sites cater to Romanians, with many offering Romanian-language assistance.

The Legal Environment
Romania’s gambling history dates back to 1906, when the national lottery, Loteria Romana, was founded. Following the establishment of a democratic government in the 1990s, all forms of physical gambling were once again made legal. The first new casino opened in 1991, but Romania, like many other countries worldwide, was slow to recognize the popularity of online gaming after the internet’s widespread acceptance. Foreign investment in the Romanian gambling industry, especially sports betting, was initiated by the government as early as 2003, likely to sign that the country was ready to enter the EU.

Since its entry five years ago, Romania has been required to obey ambiguous European Court decisions relating to online gambling, which was legally neither legal nor illegal because no laws existed. This was partially remedied in 2010, when the Romanian government passed legislation making online gambling legal, but only for companies with a government license. While playing on these international platforms was still technically illegal, it was unlikely that anyone would be prosecuted without a governing body to regulate and enforce the new legislation.

Markets in High Demand
Football is the most famous sport in the country in terms of spectatorship and sports betting, following the general European trend. Other sports, such as tennis, rugby, and, much more surprisingly, gymnastics, are common among Romanians. In this discipline, Romania has won 24 Olympic gold medals, including three in London 2012.

Final Thoughts
Romania has undoubtedly made significant strides in both the physical and online gambling markets, even though the NGO is still finding its feet. On the other hand, Romania and its legal bodies have been publicly chastised by the EU government and other members of the organization for the high levels of corruption in the gambling industry. While the country will have to work harder to improve its reputation to make its gambling industry a more legitimate and profitable business, its citizens are still free to play online as they please for the time being.