Spain Sets New Online Gambling Payment Rules
Spain has introduced new anti-money laundering rules for online gambling operators, requiring them to verify that the payment method used to deposit or withdraw funds belongs to the person registered on the gambling account.
The measure was approved through Royal Decree 813/2026, published in the state gazette (BOE) on October 10, which amends regulations supporting Spain's Law 10/2010 on the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing.
Article 21 Puts Burden On Operators
A key provision in Article 21 of the decree requires operators to confirm that the holder of a payment method is the same person who holds the gambling account before processing deposits or withdrawals.
Operators must also keep records of the verification checks carried out on a customer's initial transactions. The requirement covers online gambling activity conducted through electronic, computer and mobile application channels.
Existing customers get a six-month transition period to complete verification. During that window, players can keep depositing and gambling with their current payment methods, but they cannot withdraw winnings until the check is done.
The decree's transitional provisions state that affected customers "may not withdraw the winnings they have obtained" until ownership is confirmed.
Unverified Accounts Face Closure
Once the six-month deadline passes, operators must close any account where payment ownership remains unverified.
They are also required to report customer activations and account closures to Spain's Directorate General for Gambling Regulation (DGOJ), and to return any remaining account balance, including winnings withheld during the transition period, subject to the usual anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing checks.
Operators have the same six-month window to update their technical systems and procedures for payment verification, customer identification and compliance policy, ahead of the decree taking effect on October 28, 2026.
The rule closes off a route previously used to move funds through payment methods registered to someone other than the account holder, tightening one of the checks regulators across Europe increasingly expect from licensed betting sites and casino operators.
