A new set of anti-money laundering regulations went into effect on Wednesday, mandating that Spain’s licensed online gambling operators confirm that the individual holding a gaming account must match the person associated with their payment methods.
This regulation is embedded in Royal Decree 813/2026, which was published on October 8. The decree, issued by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Business, revises 11 royal decrees related to the financial sector, impacting how identity verification is implemented within Spain's anti-money laundering framework.
The decree stipulates that simply having a verified gaming account is no longer sufficient. Each payment method, whether it is a debit card, bank account, or payment gateway, must be conclusively linked to the player.
Operators and players have a six-month adaptation period. According to EFE, the requirements apply immediately to new accounts, while those with existing accounts have until April 28, 2027, to comply.
During this transition period, existing players will still be able to deposit and continue playing. However, they will be unable to withdraw winnings until their payment methods have been verified. Should an account not meet the verification requirements by the deadline, operators are mandated to close that account, inform the DGOJ, and refund the entire balance, including any withheld winnings.
The report from EFE highlights that this measure aims to combat identity impersonation, which saw a 12% increase in complaints in 2025, totaling 8,675 cases.
For operators, the primary challenge lies in the technical requirements. They will need to establish a dependable process to verify the identities behind each payment method used by players for both deposits and withdrawals.
Operators must also navigate the necessary adjustments for their current customer bases before the April deadline. Any players who have been using someone else's card or payment account will be required to transition to an account in their own name to withdraw their winnings.
This verification process may lead to complications, as delaying withdrawals until the checks are completed could result in an influx of complaints and customer support requests, especially during a time when players are eager to access their money.
Adding to the pressure, operators are proceeding without comprehensive guidance. The online gambling association Jdigital has requested that authorities issue an interpretive guide to clarify the regulations and provide legal certainty, as reported by Sector del Juego.
The timeline is particularly critical, as the deadline for payment method verification coincides with Spain’s upcoming national deposit limits, which are set to cap spending at €700 per day across all operators starting in March 2027. Furthermore, the new decree expands upon a principle that the DGOJ had previously proposed only for players deemed at risk. Under the draft risk-detection measures, customers who are flagged must already be using payment methods that correspond to their own names, a requirement that will now be mandatory for all players.
Jdigital has been contacted for further comments on these developments.
