Romania’s online gambling industry has begun 2022 on a high,following record revenues last year. The industry’s success in 2021 was in no small part driven by the Euro 2020 football tournament (which took place last July) and certainly contributed to the 90% increase in online gambling in the country. This is an impressive rise, not least because Romania only legalised online gaming in 2010, and the market was not properly regulated before 2013.
With such a buoyant market it's no surprise that many local and foreign online casinos and iGaming companies are eyeing up Romania as a potential place to expand. With its population of 20 million, a growing economy and dynamic cities like Bucharest, Romania is certainly an attractive market for online gambling businesses.
Xace has brought together some of the key online gaming statistics to help you get a feel for casino and betting markets in this Balkan nation.
Related: 10 best countries to launch your iGaming business
Romania online gambling statistics
The following statistics will give you a feel for the market for online casinos, virtual slot machines, sportsbooks, bingo and poker in Romania.
Size of Romania’s online gambling market
In 2021, total gambling market revenue in Romania surpassed half a billion Euros for the first time. Of this revenue, 56.7% came from online gaming. This indicates that Romania’s online gambling market is worth about €284 million.
As noted above, this figure skyrocketed last year, thanks largely to the Euro 2020 football competition. It is yet to be seen whether this new habit for online betting will stick, but data from Statista suggests it’s likely. In 2019, Romanians spent about US $87 million on online sports betting, and this is projected to grow to $202 million by 2026.
What kinds of online gambling are popular in Romania?
Statistics show that sports betting is the most popular form of online gaming in Romania,representing about 58% of the market. Online casinos have a 36% share of the market. Poker is also popular in Romania with about 2% of online gamers playing the card game, followed by a smaller number of bingo and lottery players.
Football (soccer) is by far the most popular sport in Romania for online betting, as with most of the rest of Europe. That said Romanians also like to bet on other sports such as tennis, rugby and, unusually, gymnastics - which is one of the country’s most watched sports.
Today most Romanians still gamble online using web apps, butthe use of dedicated betting apps on smartphones is on the rise and is expected[lw1] to surpass the popularity of web based apps in the coming years.
iGaming taxes and fees in Romania
Taxes for online casinos and sportsbooks in Romania depend on the operator’s turnover and each must pay different fees:
· Authorization fee: All online gaming providers must pay an authorisation fee for any remote game of chance. This ineffectively a tax on revenue, and is set at 16%.
· Annual licence fee: Online gaming operators are granted 10-year licences, and they must pay a renewal fee every year. The size of the fee depends on turnover. If turnover is below €500,000the minimum licence fee is €6000. If turnover is more than €10 million, then the maximum licence fee payable is €120,000. There are different fees for different turnover thresholds.
· Responsible gaming: Online gaming operators must make a €5000 contribution to the Public Foundation for Responsible Gaming each year.
· Other fees: Including a documentation analysis fee (€2,500 on initial application) and licence issue fee (€8,500).
Somewhat unusually, online gamers must also pay taxes on winnings in Romania. The tax is low for most, at just 1% of winnings up to about €120. After that, taxes on winnings increase incrementally.
Who gambles online in Romania?
So, who visits online casinos and sportsbooks in Romania? The following statistics give an idea of the kinds of people who bet online in the country:
· About 2.4 million Romanians gamble at least once a year, which suggests about 1.3 million people gamble online.
· 8% of adult Romanians gamble at least once per week
· Regular gamblers tend to be single men, living in cities with an average household income of €562.
· A third of weekly gamblers are aged between 18 and 24
The future looks bright for online gambling in Romania
As these statistics show, the appetite for and interest in online gaming in Romania has grown significantly in recent years, and projections indicate that this expansion shows no signs of stopping.
If you are looking to set up an iGaming business, an online casino, betting site or a sportsbook in Romania, you will need a way to accept payments from customers in the country.
Xace is an e-money institution that provides digital business accounts for online gaming firms. While Xace is not a bank, it delivers many of the key features you would expect from a banking solution, and our business accounts are tailored to the needs of the online gaming industry.
If you are applying for an online gaming license in Romania, opening a Xace account will allow you to begin receiving and making payments. To learn more, read about our payment accounts here.
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