The Ministry of Consumption in Spain has introduced new regulations to combat identity theft in the gambling sector.
It follows a 12% rise in fraudulent identity complaints during 2025 in Spain, reaching 8,675 in total.
The country’s gambling regulator, the Directorate General for Gambling Regulation (DGOJ), has embarked on a sweeping overhaul of compliance and governance within the sector.
This latest measure comes after the DGOJ’s note that identity impersonators frequently used payment methods that are difficult to verify in real-time, and the warning that identity theft is becoming increasingly linked to organised crime and money laundering.
Introduced via Real Decreto 813/2026, the policy mandates that licensed operators must ensure the person registered for a gaming profile matches the owner of the associated payment method.
New accounts must comply with the payment ownership verification immediately upon creation.
Meanwhile, for existing accounts, operators have a six-month transition period to adapt their systems.
In this period, registered players can continue making deposits and playing, but cannot withdraw any winnings until payment method ownership is verified.
If ownership matching is not proven after six months, operators must terminate the account, notify the DGOJ, and return account balances and unpaid prizes, subject to anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing rules.
Uncertainty looming in Spain
As mentioned above, the DGOJ has been attempting to create more contemporary measures for operators in Spain.
There is current political uncertainty in the country though, as current Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, has called for a snap election which will take place at the end of next month.
This means the long-term picture of the gambling sector – which admittedly may not be an immediate priority for the victorious government – remains unclear.
The DGOJ, however, is pressing on. It is set to implement its central deposit system by 25 March 2027 as the regulator looks to ensure protection of Spanish players.
While an expected channelisation rate of 78% will worry regulated operators in Spain, such as CIRSA and Codere, player protection and clamping down on criminality is clearly at the forefront of the DGOJ’s plans.
