Spain's licensed online gambling operators are now required to ensure that the individual who holds a gaming account is the same as the holder of the payment method used for deposits and withdrawals. This change came into effect with the implementation of Royal Decree 813/2026 on Wednesday, following its publication by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Business on October 8. The decree amends 11 royal decrees related to the financial sector, revising the identity verification requirements in the country’s anti-money laundering regulation.
This new regulation mandates that operators verify each payment method associated with a player’s account. As a result, a verified gaming account alone will no longer suffice. Every card, bank account, or payment gateway must be confirmed to belong to the player.
Both operators and players have a six-month adjustment period to comply with the new rules. The check is immediately applicable to new accounts, while existing players must complete verification by April 28, 2027, according to news agency EFE. During this transition, existing players can continue to deposit and play, but they will be unable to withdraw any winnings until the verification process is complete. If an account does not pass verification before the deadline, operators are obliged to close it and inform the Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ), returning the full balance, including any winnings that were previously withheld.
This measure aims to combat identity impersonation, which reportedly saw a 12% increase in complaints in 2025, totaling 8,675 incidents.
Operators face immediate challenges in adapting their technical systems to reliably verify the identity behind each payment method utilized by players. Furthermore, they must address the existing customer base before the April deadline. Players who have been using payment methods registered under a partner or family member will need to switch to one in their own name to cash out, a process that could lead to increased friction and dissatisfaction as withdrawals will be blocked until successful verification is achieved.
In addition, operators are operating without comprehensive guidance regarding the implementation of the new rules. The online gambling association Jdigital has requested that authorities provide an interpretive guide to clarify these new requirements, as reported by Sector del Juego.
The timing of this decree adds further urgency; the April deadline coincides with the planned implementation of national deposit limits—capping daily spending across all operators at €700—set to take effect in March 2027. Notably, this measure extends a principle initially proposed by the DGOJ for at-risk players. Under the draft risk-detection protocol, flagged customers were required to use payment methods in their own names, but this obligation now applies to all players.
