Spain will require online-gambling operators to establish that a customer’s payment method belongs to the person registered on the gambling account before processing deposits or withdrawals. The control is set out in Article 21 of Royal Decree 813/2026, which was published in the state gazette, the BOE, on Oct. 10 and enters into force on Oct. 28.
The decree amends regulations supporting Law 10/2010 on preventing money laundering and terrorist financing. FocusGN reported that the payment-ownership rule covers gambling offered through electronic, computer, mobile-app and other interactive channels, and requires operators to retain records of checks made on customers’ initial transactions.
Existing customers have a six-month transition period for operators to verify ownership of their payment methods. They may continue to deposit and gamble using their existing methods during that period, but cannot withdraw winnings until the check has been completed.
Operators must close accounts whose payment ownership remains unverified after the transition deadline and report customer activations and closures to the Directorate General for Gambling Regulation. Any remaining balances, including winnings held during the transition, must be returned subject to anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorist-financing requirements.
The industry also has six months to adapt its technical systems and procedures for payment checks, customer identification and account management. The decree introduces tighter requirements for remote identity verification, with secure processes required to meet minimum standards in general authorisations issued by Sepblac.
Spain’s physical and digital National Identity Document formats are recognised under the legislation. Rules on electronic-identification methods and retention of associated data take effect 18 months after the decree’s publication, while businesses must maintain written policies on international financial sanctions and countermeasures within their broader compliance frameworks.
