iGaming technology company, Gaming Innovation Group Inc. (GiG) (OSL:GIG) has launched affiliate services in Romania after being granted a Class II license by the National Office for Gambling (ONJN), the country’s regulatory body.

The license that will see GiG enter Romania’s regulated iGaming market allows the Stockholm-listed company’s Media Services division to refer traffic to licensed online casino and sportsbook operators in the southeastern European country.

According to the official press release…

The new market entry provides an opportunity for the media vertical to capitalize on its ‘proprietary technology and know-how,’ which is in line with GiG’s regulated markets expansion strategy.

Strategic move:

Commenting on the recent licensing, Chief Operating Officer for the Malta-based company, Richard Brown, said…

“We are excited to extend our market reach by starting to refer end users to operators with a Romanian licence. We are expanding into another regulated market where we will be able to utilise the full range of marketing channels available across both the sports and casino verticals. Romania is still a developing market and with good projected underlying growth in the online sector which has accelerated in the last couple of years.”

iGaming outlook:

According to H2 Gambling Capital, subsidiary of H2 Leisure Limited, which provides data, market intelligence, and consulting services regarding the interactive and land-based gambling industry in Europe and the United States…

About 19 percent of all gambling in the Eastern European country is made online in a market, that based on aggregate gambling gross win, is worth USD1.5bn (2019e). The news release further informs that it is estimated that from 2019 to 2010 online gambling will increase by 12 percent and comprise more than 30 percent of total gambling by the year 2024.

2018 ONJN licensees:

In 2018, the ONJN issues Class 2 licenses to Slovenian independent software supplier, Comtrade Gaming; leading turnkey solutions provider, Oryx Gaming, also based in Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital city; UK-based developer and provider of online and land-based gaming solutions, BetConstruct; and to casino software provider, Betsoft Gaming, and Finnplay, developer of real money gaming platform and solutions for the iGaming industry, according to H2 (pdf).

More SGA sanctions:

In related news…

…GiG subsidiary Zecure Gaming Ltd, which operates its in-house brands, including online casino, Rizk, and others, has recently been given a warning and hit with a fine of SEK3,500,000 by the Swedish Gambling Authority Spelinspektionen (SGA) for reportedly presenting a U17 game between Georgia vs. Slovakia on January 28, 2019 on its Swedish site.

According to GiG, the event was incorrectly offered online and no bets were taken from Sweden-based end users. The company does not agree with the assessment and conclusion by the SGA and plans to appeal the sanction.