AMLA, the central anti-money-laundering advisory body of the European Union (EU), has called on gambling licences to participate in its latest consultation on risk profiling and risk-based supervision.
Authorised by the European Council in 2024, AMLA was initiated in 2026 as a cooperative body to improve coordination and consistency in the combat of AML and financial crimes between member states, viewed as an economic threat to the EU.
Taking shape AMLA serves under the principal objective to develop harmonised Regulatory Technical Standards (RTS) and supervisory guidelines to embolden member state authorities to apply AML rules through common risk-based principals and provisions.
launched on 13 July and running until 27 September, AMLA’s consultation centres on a draft RTS that will determine how supervisory authorities assess the “inherent money laundering and terrorist financing risks of obligated entities operating in the non-financial sector”, including European gambling licences (online and retail).
Other high risk non-financial sectors referenced by AMLA include – real estate financing, online retail of high-value goods, arts/antiques, notaries and payments to legal advisors.
Feedback from diverse stakeholders is required for AMLA to develop a new RTS to “underpin how regulators classify business transactions “according to risk, determine supervisory priorities and conduct risk-based oversight across the EU”.
AMLA seeks to test its “proposed risk assessment methodology for non-financial services and sectors. The consultation recognised the need for a “proportionality of reporting requirements, the treatment of smaller businesses and the practical costs of implementation before the technical standards are finalised”.
The body acknowledges that supervisory obligations designed for financial institutions cannot simply be replicated across non-financial sectors, arguing that sector-specific standards are needed to avoid imposing disproportionate compliance burdens.
The EU-wide consultation has been endorsed by Spelinspektionen, Sweden’s Gambling Inspectorate, which has encouraged licensed gambling operators to participate. In guidance published this week, the regulator said the draft RTS “will form the basis for the supervisory authorities’ work on risk classification and supervision.”
The authority also encouraged stakeholders wishing “to have the opportunity to influence AMLA’s work” to engage with the consultation process, noting that further public consultations are expected throughout 2026.
The initiative also reflects a broader shift in Brussels’ regulatory agenda. Rather than pursuing a single EU gambling framework, policymakers are increasingly harmonising the rules of individual sectors prioritising compliance via financial crime, digital safety and sector specific consumer protection.
Alongside AMLA’s work, the Digital Services Act (DSA) has become akey instrument in tackling the promotion of illegal gambling across major technology platforms. The mandate seeks cooperation with Big Tech platforms to remove unlawful gambling content, disrupt affiliate marketing networks and strengthen enforcement against operators targeting consumers without the appropriate national licences.
At the same time, the Commission is advancing its EU Age Verification Framework, designed to establish a common, privacy-preserving standard for verifying that users are over the age of 18 when accessing age-restricted online services.
Although applicable across multiple sectors, gambling is expected to become one of its principal use cases, with the framework likely to influence future customer onboarding, identity verification and player protection requirements across regulated European markets.
The broader policy agenda also extends to taxation, as negotiations on the EU’s 2028–2034 budget include consideration of a proposal from the Socialists & Democrats (S&D) Group to introduce a 1%–2% Union-wide tax on gambling revenues, with funds directed towards education, healthcare and workforce reskilling initiatives.
Whilst gambling licensing remains under national autonomy, the EU is steadily building a common regulatory architecture based on financial compliance and the safety of design of online platforms/environments.
The AMLA’s consultation should be recognised as a ‘common initiative’ that seeks to reshape how Europe’s licensed gambling industry are supervised as the bloc moves towards greater regulatory oversight of high-risk sectors regardless of autonomy.
