Romania’s National Office for Gambling (ONJN) has launched an investigation alongside the Directorate for the Investigation of Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) into the operations of a licensed gambling affiliate.
The website operated in a specific way that would scan the settings of each user and recommend different websites to them.
Rather than using cookies or a simple algorithm, the website would use a technical mechanism to identify the type of user connection, affiliate trackers and bridge domains.
Then, if these parameters passed a checklist, the user would be shown a list of offshore and illegal online casinos.
The ONJN noted that this is not an accidental redirection, but an intentional operation specifically created for this purpose.
Vlad-Cristian Soare, ONJN President, said: “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.”
Verde Casino and NV Casino were among the black market casinos promoted by the affiliate, both of which ONJN has filed criminal complaints about in the past year.
Earlier today, the Association of Organisers and Producers of Gambling in Romania (AOPJNR) issued a warning regarding the current slot machine blockage in the country.
The association says the situation is already generating significant losses for the state budget and threatens thousands of jobs.
Romania is considering introducing an 18-month self-exclusion register
