Romania’s gambling regulator has asked for a criminal investigation into an affiliate that was caught redirecting consumers to unlicensed gambling platforms.

A press communiqué revealed that the National Office for Gambling (ONJN) has contacted the Directorate for the Investigation of Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT), asking for assistance in the matter.

The information revealed that an ONJN-licensed affiliate has been acting as a gateway to illegal gambling websites, linking players directly to offshore operators.

“The affiliate’s website functions as a commercial intermediary that, under certain technical conditions, directs or redirects users (potential players) to gambling operators who do not hold a license in Romania,” the ONJN said.

“The sites are available in Romanian, and any Romanian citizen has the opportunity to register an account and deposit money in order to participate in gambling.”

One interesting detail shared by the regulator is that the affiliate website had a covert frontend interface in place, meaning that not all users saw the same content, but rather a selective display of options that promoted tailored offers based on the location of the user’s IP address.

The ONJN is adamant that this technology was purposefully implemented to repeatedly promote unlicensed gambling within Romania by intentionally circumventing regulations.

“This practice does not represent an accidental redirection, but an intentional technical mechanism, designed to obtain undue benefits and to circumvent Romanian legislation, in order to promote prohibited or restricted content.”

Among the named illegal websites was a company called NV Casino. An illegal operator trading with similar initials, Novatech Solutions N.V. Casino, was recently handed a record fine €24.9m (£21.6m) in the Netherlands for similar offences.

Vlad-Cristian Soare, President of the ONJN, commented: “ONJN’s mission is to maintain a responsible, legal and transparent gaming framework, and any mechanism built to circumvent the law and expose Romanian consumers to unlicensed platforms represents a direct threat to the public interest. 

“We will continue to intervene firmly whenever we identify such practices and to collaborate with the competent institutions to protect both players and the integrity of the market. Those guilty will be held accountable before the law.”

Over the last few months, Romania has embarked on a crusade to strengthen its gambling market by minimising harm risk and increasing supervision over licensed operators.

Measures to restructure the domestic market that have gained significant political support include the raising of the minimum gambling age to 21, limiting gambling advertising, and developing innovations around self-exclusion.

Soare has continuously voiced his commitment of working towards a better Romanian gambling market since he first took on the role of ONJN President in May last year, after the regulator itself was embroiled in heaps of controversy over close to a billion euros in failed tax collection.