Romania is the 12th largest country of the European Union with a total area of 238,397 square kilometers. Located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe, it borders the Black Sea to the southeast, Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, and Moldova to the east.
According to the World Bank, Romania is a high-income country with a mixed economy. In 2019, Romania has a GDP of around $547 billion and a GDP per capita of $28,189. According to Eurostat, Romania’s GDP per capita was 70% of the EU average (100%) in 2019, an increase from 44% in 2007 (the year of Romania’s accession to the EU), making Romania one of the fastest-growing economies in the EU. Romania is a net exporter of electrical energy and 48th worldwide in terms of the consumption of electric energy.
According to Bloomberg, in 2013 Romania ranked 5th in the world, and according to The Independent, it ranks number one in Europe at Internet speeds, with Timișoara ranked among the highest in the world. Tourism is a significant contributor to the Romanian economy, generating around 5% of GDP. In 2014, Romania had 32,500 companies that were active in the hotel and restaurant industry, with a total turnover of EUR 2.6 billion. The number of tourists has been steadily rising, reaching 9.33 million foreign tourists in 2016, according to the Worldbank.
Since 2000, Romania has attracted increasing amounts of foreign investments, becoming the single largest investment destination in Southeastern and Central Europe. The online gaming industry is very well regulated and in line with legislative models in the EU, but with better taxation and many extra advantages. The Romanian gambling market is a rapidly growing enterprise, emerging as an attractive European destination for prominent international operators.
According to the 2011 Romanian census, Romania’s population was 20,121,641. Romania is divided into 41 counties (județe, pronounced judetse) and the municipality of Bucharest. Each county is administered by a county council, responsible for local affairs, as well as a prefect responsible for the administration of national affairs at the county level. The prefect is appointed by the central government but cannot be a member of any political party. Each county is subdivided further into cities and communes, which have their own mayor and local council. There are a total of 320 cities and 2,861 communes in Romania. 17 A total of 103 of the larger cities have municipality status, which gives them greater administrative power over local affairs. The municipality of Bucharest is a special case, as it enjoys a status on par to that of a county. It is further divided into six sectors: 6 and has a prefect, a general mayor (primar), and a general city council.
| Development region | Area (km2) | Population (2011) | Most populous urban centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nord-Vest | 34,159 | 2,600,132 | Cluj-Napoca (411,379) |
| Centru | 34,082 | 2,360,805 | Brașov (369,896) |
| Nord-Est | 36,850 | 3,302,217 | Iași (382,484) |
| Sud-Est | 35,762 | 2,545,923 | Constanța (425,916) |
| Sud – Muntenia | 34,489 | 3,136,446 | Ploiești (276,279) |
| București – Ilfov | 1,811 | 2,272,163 | Bucharest (2,272,163) |
| Sud-Vest Oltenia | 29,212 | 2,075,642 | Craiova (356,544) |
| Vest | 32,028 | 1,828,313 | Timișoara (384,809) |
In Romania, the Authority responsible for regulating the gambling industry is the ONJN (Oficiul Național Pentru Jocuri de Noroc). On the 24th of February 2016, Romania’s Government has finalized and adopted detailed technical and operational regulations for the gambling industry regarding both online and land-based companies. A Supervisory Committee within the ONJN is assessing the applications and granting the particular licenses/authorizations required by the law.