Jdigital criticises payment-ownership checks under Spain’s Royal Decree 813/2026
Regulation1 min read
Spain’s Royal Decree 813/2026, which took effect on 28 October, requires online gambling operators to verify that a payment method’s owner matches the account holder. In an interview, Jdigital said the requirement creates technical and legal uncertainty, noting that new players face immediate checks while operators have six months to adapt their systems.
Spain's Royal Decree 813/2026 requires online gambling operators to check that payment methods belong to their gambling account holders. The decree took effect on 28 October and requires immediate compliance for new players, while allowing six months for operators to adapt their technical systems and for players registered before it took effect.
Industry association Jdigital told Spanish gambling publication INFOPLAY that the immediate requirement for new registrations creates legal uncertainty and makes compliance difficult for operators. Verification often depends on information and capabilities held by banks and payment service providers, while the ability to check ownership varies by payment instrument and its technical configuration. The association called for verification mechanisms to be available and for those providers to cooperate.
Jdigital called for the DGOJ to help coordinate solutions with competent authorities and payment providers. Jdigital expected the DGOJ and Sepblac to understand the efforts being made since 28 October to ensure the measure's effectiveness in a climate of dialogue and understanding. It said sharing the objective entails sharing the timeframes, with a view to channeling players toward the regulated market.