INSIGHT
Q&A: ZOLTAN TUNDIK, EEG
In the first of a two-part Romania special, we spoke to Zoltan “Hawkie” Tundik, of Eastern European
gambling information source EEG, for an on-the-ground view of the market ahead of the imminent
regulation and licensing of iGaming there.
Romania recently announced a significant
overhaul of its online gambling regime.
How have the changes been received by
local stakeholders?
The change in the law to enable the
online gambling sector to get licensed is
received somehow as a treat rather than
an opportunity by local betting shops and
casinos. They should understand that being
present online can expand their business
nationwide. The changes in the iGaming
sector are fundamental, but the players
are somewhat disappointed because of
their accounts being suspended until the
operators apply and receive a licence.
How important a presence are affiliates
in the Romanian market, and what
percentage of operator acquisitions and/
or marketing budgets do they command?
Affiliates are the backbone for spreading
the word and marketing your brand. 99%
of the affiliates based in Romania are
fluent in English and own popular bilingual
websites providing exclusive offers. They
usually work with well-known and trusted
operators. Their effort has been rewarded
by certain operators translating their
websites into Romanian. The cost of living
is low, and the budget of some affiliates can
be well-organised and put to effective use in
local advertising. The marketing budget of
top-ranked affiliate websites can reach up
to €10,000 per month and absorb around
70% of the potential players.
Who are the leading operators and
affiliates in the market across sports
betting, casino and poker?
There are three major players that
command 90% of the online gambling
market: Bet365, Unibet and Sportingbet,
sports betting being the main market
for online gambling activity. Betclic has
made efforts by signing up local brand
ambassadors, but as the fourth-placed
operators currently splits the remaining
10% market sh \