A.P.O.N.J.N. THE ENTERTAINMENT ASSOCIATION THAT PROVIDES BALANCE AND DEMANDS RESPONSIBILITY
Recently, the ASSOCIATION OF NON-AFFILIATED GAMBLING PARTNERS AND ORGANISERS has appeared on the firmament of gaming associations, whose main objective is to identify and solve the challenges in the field of gaming, but also to promote industry-specific activities as purely entertaining, to change the collective mindset and to educate towards the integration of gaming services into the entertainment industry, alongside HORECA.
APONJN aims to be the promoter of balance in the activity carried out by licensed operators and also calls for accountability, transparency and fair play from members and other players im the land based and online gambling market. The Association aims to highlight the national gambling industry in the entertainment sphere, as it is natural and as it is identified in civilized countries, in which sense it will campaign to educate young people and interested persons, through information activities and even panels explaining the risks and benefits of participating in gambling.
The members of the association are gambling companies licensed by the ONJN, companies that carry out related activities for the gambling industry, public persons with expertise in the field of authorization, monitoring and control of gambling, as well as legal and tax specialists with extensive experience in the national entertainment market. Thus we invite anyone who is interested to join us in this endeavour and we will certainly, together, identify the best solutions for the functioning of the market, we will propose and support regulations that are applicable and anchored in business reality, we will fight for the rights of companies operating in the field and we will campaign for a competitive regime that will make the gambling market an example for other industries.
Through its Statute, APONJN declares as its main objectives: to promote responsible gambling, to develop spiritual and moral values in the entertainment industry, to promote compliance with the obligations of processing personal data in the field of gambling (provided for in European and national legal rules), to protect and promote the interests of members involved in the organization and operation of traditional and remote gambling, conformity assessment bodies and class 2 licensees in Romania, to improve relations between gambling organizers and the competent Romanian authorities, to represent members before national and international authorities, to create, observe and develop the legal framework for conducting business and to promote professional competence in the field.
The idea of setting up an Association that would also include the non-affiliated partners of gambling operators was born some time ago and is based on the principle that only united we can identify the most viable solutions to the current challenges faced by the gambling industry, and the opinions of all those involved in this type of business are important and must be known by the authorities that manage the field, as well as by the national legislator. Because let’s face it, the national gambling industry cannot exist without partnerships, whether we are talking about operational ones, or about the interaction with customers or with the authorities. We see this form of interaction as a partnership, in the idea that the entertainment services we offer to our customers are just a form of relaxation designed to provide a different kind of entertainment in a troubled and troubling world, not a way to get rich overnight – as unfortunately it is seen at the moment by the political class and a small part of the gambling participants.
The newly created Association arose out of the need to counteract the real outbursts of anger in the public arena against the gambling industry and to highlight the need for regulations that do not make pale into insignificance this over-regulated industry that provides entertainment services. Along with the other Associations in the field, that are known for their long and constant concern to protect the interests of licensed operators and have often shown understanding and advocated for a balance between the needs of the state budget and those of members, APONJN will promote honest business run by people of good sense, a competitive environment, will demand accountability and provide representation to members who truly prize and cultivate the values we embrace.
To meet the challenges of today, the Association has requested ONJN the appointment of two APONJN representatives to the Office’s Advisory Board to attend meetings and support the work of interpretation and rulemaking. It also intends to participate in the discussions on the legislative amendments currently before the Chamber of Deputies of the Romanian Parliament, in which sense relevant and reality-based materials and points of view have been prepared and discussed, allowing the further development of the gambling business in a competitive regime and with a bearable taxation. Another priority step is to request an audience with the management of the MF and NAFA in order to clarify issues related to the use of the guarantee insurance policy issued by the only insurance company offering this type of product at the moment, in order to be certain that the financial instrument will be accepted by the Romanian authorities (NAFA and ONJN).
Considering the coming Winter Holidays, the ASSOCIATION OF NON-AFFILIATED GAMBLING PARTNERS AND ORGANIZERS, would like to wish everyone a blessed and wealthy Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year, together with all partners and their families!
ASSOCIATION OF NON-AFFILIATED
GAMBLING PARTNERS
AND ORGANIZERS (A.P.O.N.J.N.)