Starting Wednesday, licensed online gambling operators in Spain are required to ensure that the individual who holds a gaming account is the same person linked to the payment method used for both deposits and withdrawals. This new stipulation stems from Royal Decree 813/2026, issued by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Business, and published on October 8. The decree modifies eleven existing royal financial decrees, including the identity verification protocols under Spain’s anti-money laundering regulations.
Under these regulations, a verified gaming account alone is insufficient; operators must establish that each credit card, bank account, or payment portal belongs to the actual player.
The decree allows both operators and players a six-month adaptation period. Per reports from EFE, this verification must be implemented immediately for new accounts, while current customer accounts have until April 28, 2027, to comply. During this transition, existing players may continue to deposit funds and play, but they will be unable to withdraw winnings until their payment methods are confirmed. If a match is not verified by the deadline, operators must terminate the account, inform the Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ), and refund the total balance, including any withheld winnings.
This measure aims to curb identity impersonation, a concern that has grown significantly, with complaints rising by 12% in 2025 to 8,675.
For operators, the immediate challenge lies in the technical implementation of these new checks. They will need to establish robust systems to verify the identity associated with each payment method customers utilize for both deposits and withdrawals. Additionally, operators must work through their existing customer bases by the April deadline. Players who have been using a partner’s or relative’s payment method must transition to one that is registered in their own name before they can access their winnings.
This transition may lead to complications, as halting withdrawals until identity checks are complete could result in an influx of customer complaints and support requests at a critical moment when players typically want swift access to their funds.
Operators currently lack detailed guidance on these new requirements, which has prompted Jdigital, an online gambling association, to request authorities publish an interpretive guide to ensure clarity and legal certainty, according to Sector del Juego. The timing of this requirement is compounded by the approaching April deadline, which coincides with the expected implementation of national deposit limits in March 2027, capping player spending across all operators at €700 per day.
Moreover, this decree encompasses a principle that previously applied solely to at-risk players. As outlined in draft regulations by the DGOJ, all flagged customers were mandated to use payment methods under their own names. This requirement has now been expanded to encompass all players.
