Spanish gambling operators must verify that the owner of every payment method used for deposits and withdrawals is the holder of the corresponding player account. The requirement comes from Royal Decree 813/2026 and forms part of Spain's anti-money-laundering rules for remote customer relationships.
The official decree amends Article 21 of the regulation implementing Law 10/2010. Beyond verifying a remote customer's identity, operators now have to confirm ownership of the card, bank account, wallet or other method used to move money into or out of the gambling account.
Players registered before the new obligation took effect receive six months to complete the required verification. They can continue depositing and participating with payment methods already on file during that period, but they cannot withdraw winnings until the ownership match has been confirmed. Operators receive the same six-month window to adapt their technical systems.
If an account remains unverified after the transition, the operator must terminate the contract and notify Spain's gambling regulator, then return the remaining balance and unpaid prizes subject to applicable anti-money-laundering duties. iGamingBusiness notes that the change requires both system work and direct outreach to existing customers.
