Poker in Romania: one licensed poker club, two casinos, and licensed online rooms
Romania is served by 888poker. Below: what the law says, which partner rooms accept players from Romania, and the live poker scene — venues, tournaments and the players who made a name here.
Play online from Romania
888poker
Running since 1997 and part of a London-listed group, 888poker holds its own licences in Great Britain (UKGC 39028) and Malta (MGA/CRP/121/2006-09), plus separate locally licensed sites for Sweden, Denmark, Romania, Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Ontario. Its tables are known for a softer recreational field than the biggest networks.
Play at 888poker →Also accepting players from Romania: Unibet Poker. 18+ · advertising.
Is online poker legal in Romania?
Poker rooms & casinos in Romania
All venuesTop players from Romania
All players| # | Player | Hometown | Live earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alexandru Papazian | — | $4,640,775 |
| 2 | Florian Duta | Curtea de Argeș, Romania | $3,909,607 |
| 3 | Vlad Darie | Satu Mare, Romania | $3,101,215 |
| 4 | Mihai Niste | Romania | $2,889,459 |
| 5 | Narcis-Gabriel Nedelcu | — | $2,783,913 |
| 6 | Adrian State | — | $2,698,360 |
| 7 | Marius Alexandru Gicovanu | — | $2,336,859 |
| 8 | Anton Ionel | — | $2,197,378 |
| 9 | Sebastian Ionita | — | $1,794,777 |
| 10 | Danut Chisu | — | $1,743,172 |
Licensed online poker in Romania
Romania is a licensed market: to offer online poker to Romanian players legally, an operator needs its own remote gambling licence from the Oficiul Național pentru Jocuri de Noroc (ONJN). That has a consequence worth understanding, because it is the thing most international guides get wrong — a global brand usually cannot simply accept Romanian players on its .com site. It has to be licensed here, and in practice that often means operating under a separate, locally licensed brand.
GGPoker is the clearest example. Its international site does not serve Romania. The GG group's Romanian product is **PlayGG**, at playgg.ro, and its licensing is published in the site's own footer:
- Owned and operated by **WindGG International Limited**, a company incorporated under Maltese company law, registered office 2 Spinola Road, St Julian's STJ 3014, Malta, company number **C96895**. - ONJN licence **L1233892W001533**, valid from **1 December 2023 to 30 November 2033**. - Operating authorisation granted by **Decision No. 912 of 12 November 2025**. - Romanian tax identification number **43557456**, issued by the Tax Administration for Non-Resident Taxpayers.
So a Romanian player looking for GGPoker's games is looking for playgg.ro, not the international domain. The ONJN licence is the point: it is what makes the room lawful here, it is what the ten-year validity period is attached to, and it is checkable against the regulator's own monthly lists.
Unibet is licensed separately on the same basis — licence L1260657W001792, issued to Unibet (Germany) Limited, valid from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2036.
Why the brand matters more than the name
The general rule for any regulated European market, Romania included: check the licence, not the logo. A familiar brand name on a page proves nothing about whether that particular site may take your money, and a locally licensed site under an unfamiliar name may be the properly licensed one. The ONJN publishes its licensed-operator lists monthly and runs a national self-exclusion register; both are free to consult and more current than any guide, including this one.
Gambling winnings are taxable in Romania and the operator withholds at source under the Fiscal Code. The bands have been revised more than once in recent years, so check current figures with ANAF rather than an older summary. General information, not tax or legal advice.
Poker is entertainment. The minimum age is 18, online and in licensed venues alike.
Frequently asked questions
Is online poker legal in Romania?
Yes, when the operator holds a remote gambling licence from the ONJN, Romania's national gambling office. Unibet's Romanian site is licensed this way — licence L1260657W001792, issued to Unibet (Germany) Limited and valid from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2036.
Is GGPoker available in Romania?
Yes, but not under that name and not on the international site. The GG group's Romanian product is PlayGG at playgg.ro, operated by WindGG International Limited (Malta, company number C96895) under ONJN licence L1233892W001533, valid from 1 December 2023 to 30 November 2033, with an operating authorisation granted by Decision No. 912 of 12 November 2025.
Why does GGPoker use a different brand in Romania?
Because Romania requires an operator to hold its own ONJN remote licence. Regulated markets are commonly served by a separately licensed local entity and brand rather than by a global .com site, which is why the familiar brand name is a worse guide than the licence number.
How many licensed poker clubs are there in Romania?
One licence holder, covering three rooms. POKER TM S.R.L. holds the only poker-club licence in the ONJN's September 2026 register, L1223966D001392, valid to 31 March 2032, for addresses in Bucharest, Iași and Craiova.
Where can you play live poker in Romania?
At POKER TM's three licensed clubs: the COCOR complex on Bulevardul I.C. Brătianu in Bucharest, Strada Anastasie Panu in Iași, and the Promenada centre in Craiova. Romania's two licensed casinos are both in Bucharest, but neither holds a poker-club licence and their card-game offer is unverified.
What is the minimum age to play poker in Romania?
18, for both online rooms and licensed venues.
Do Romanian players pay tax on poker winnings?
Gambling winnings are taxable in Romania and the operator withholds at source under the Fiscal Code. The bands have been revised more than once in recent years, so check the current figures with ANAF rather than relying on an older summary. This is general information, not tax advice.
Who regulates gambling in Romania?
The Oficiul Naţional pentru Jocuri de Noroc (ONJN), under the Ministry of Finance. Its Supervisory Committee issues licences, it publishes the licensed-operator lists monthly, and it runs a national self-exclusion register.