- Not all changes to gambling laws are a step backwards—the Romanian parliament has passed amendments which reduce the income taxes players must pay on their online gambling winnings.
- Last year’s 25% tax rate now applies only to winnings of over €100,000. The rate for the lowest level of winnings has been set at just 1%, rising to 16% for winnings above €15,000.
Not all changes to gambling laws are a step backwards—the Romanian parliament has passed amendments which reduce the income taxes players must pay on their gambling winnings.
Last year’s 25% tax rate now applies only to winnings of over €100,000. The rate for the lowest level of winnings has been set at just 1%, rising to 16% for winnings above €15,000.
The gambling laws covering online gaming were introduced in 2012, and rapidly proved to be inadequate. The EU Commission complained that they breached treaties, and offshore operators were unable to apply for licenses.
The latest amendments reduce license fees, and allow offshore operators the chance to apply for licenses at reasonable cost.
Over the last year, the regulator has been active in compiling a list of operators it identifies as being in breach of Romanian law. Any operator who has been put on the list will be given a one year penalty delay before they will be allowed to apply for a Romanian gambling license.
The neighboring EU member state of Bulgaria reduced its taxes on operators at the beginning of last year, and instantly saw poker rooms applying for licenses. Bulgarians can now play online poker safely and legally on PokerStars.bg, which shares the same player pool as the PokerStars.com and PokerStars.eu domains.
