ROMANIA INAUGURATES NEW GAMBLING REGULATOR

Online gambling laws passed in 2010 will be overseen by the National Gambling Office.

It's taken some time to get organised - the appropriate laws were passed back in 2010 - but the Romanian government has finally appointed a regulator to oversee nationally licensed online gambling operations in the Eastern European country.

The tough laws that the National Gambling Office will regulate & enforce in cooperation with the national police make it an offence for Romanian punters to gamble online at any unlicensed website, with Washington state-like punitive measures that can include a 2 year stretch in jail.

The law also prescribes hefty punishments for unlicensed operators offering online gambling to Romanians, & imposes restrictions on advertising & marketing of the pastime.

To date, the law has not been enforced due to the absence of a regulator, but that all changes with the appointment of the NGO, which starts exercising its mandate & authority from April 15 2013.

Despite earlier objections from the European Commission on the discriminatory nature of Romania's internet gambling law - licenses are reserved for entities that have a registered company presence in the country & are partners of shareholders in existing land casino operations - the legislation has been implemented & will now be enforced.


Source: Casinos Online