Spain Tightens Online Gambling Payment Verification And Compliance Requirements
New anti-money laundering rules will require Spanish gambling operators to verify payment ownership, with restrictions on withdrawals and a six-month transition period.
Spain has introduced stricter payment verification and customer identification requirements for licensed online gambling operators as part of wider changes to its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing framework.
The measures were established through Royal Decree 813/2026, published in Spain’s Official State Gazette (BOE) on 10 October, and amend the regulations supporting Law 10/2010 on the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing. The decree will enter into force on 28 October, although operators and customers will be given additional time to comply with certain requirements.
Central to the changes is a requirement for gambling operators to verify that payment methods used for deposits and withdrawals belong to the registered gambling account holder. The rules apply to transactions conducted through online platforms, mobile applications and other electronic or interactive channels, with operators also required to retain records of the verification procedures carried out.
Six-Month Transition Period For Payment Verification
Under the revised Article 21 provisions, operators must establish that the person responsible for a payment method is also the registered holder of the gambling account. The requirement is intended to strengthen financial transaction monitoring and prevent third-party payment methods from being used without appropriate verification.
Existing customers will have six months to complete the necessary checks, during which they can continue making deposits through their established payment methods and participating in gambling activities. However, withdrawals of winnings will be restricted until the operator has verified ownership of the relevant payment method.
Once the transition period expires, operators will be required to terminate contracts with customers whose payment ownership remains unverified. Details of customer account activations and terminations must also be submitted to Spain’s Directorate General for Gambling Regulation (DGOJ).
Where accounts are closed, operators must return outstanding customer balances, including winnings withheld during the transition period, subject to applicable anti-money laundering and terrorist financing obligations. Gambling businesses will have the same six-month period to update their technical systems, payment procedures and account management processes to accommodate the changes.
Customer Identification Requirements Strengthened
The decree also introduces additional requirements for remote customer identification, with secure verification procedures expected to meet minimum standards established through authorisations issued by Sepblac, Spain’s financial intelligence authority.
Further amendments formally recognise the use of Spain’s National Identity Document (DNI) in both physical and digital formats. Provisions covering electronic identification and the retention of information obtained through those procedures will take effect 18 months after publication, providing businesses with a longer implementation period for these particular obligations.
Operators and other affected businesses will also be required to maintain written policies addressing international financial sanctions and countermeasures alongside their existing anti-money laundering controls. The additional requirements are intended to strengthen compliance procedures across financial transactions and customer identification processes.
Further Regulatory Changes Under Consideration
The payment verification reforms come as Spanish gambling operators prepare for further changes to the country's safer gambling framework, including the development of a common system for identifying potentially harmful gambling behaviour.
The DGOJ has been working on a shared risk-detection algorithm using player data to support earlier identification of potentially problematic gambling patterns. A further public consultation on the proposed framework opened on 13 October, with the regulator seeking input on how the system should operate across licensed platforms.
Separate proposals concerning centralised monitoring of younger and vulnerable customers also remain under consideration. These include a potential central register and additional requirements covering information sharing, risk classifications and protective measures, with particular attention to customers aged 25 and under.
Unlike the payment verification requirements established under Royal Decree 813/2026, these wider safer gambling measures remain subject to further regulatory development.
