Gambling-Related Identity Fraud Complaints Rise in Spain

Spain's Ministry of Consumer Affairs announced that it recorded 8,675 notifications of identity fraud linked to online gambling in 2025. This figure points to a 12 percent rise compared with the previous year. The ministry said the notifications were made through the PACS support protocol. It stressed that these figures are not a count of convictions or the total of all identity theft cases on the market.

The government links the increase to new payment ownership checks that took effect on 28 October. Royal Decree 813/2026 was published on 8 October. The regulation changes anti-money laundering rules for state-licensed online betting operators. Operators must now verify whether the owner of the payment method used for deposits and withdrawals is the same person as the owner of the gaming account.

Existing account holders and operators have a six-month period to comply with the new framework. During this time, players can continue to deposit, but they cannot withdraw their winnings until payment ownership has been verified. If verification is not completed at the end of the six months, the operator will have to terminate the contract, report the situation to the DGOJ, and refund the balance together with any unpaid prizes.

PACS is not the new payment control system itself. It is an existing support protocol for taxpayers whose identity has been used without their consent. PhishingAlert is an optional notification service for adults holding a DNI or NIE number. Operators that are not part of the service fall outside its scope. In addition, the Portal del Jugador, accessed through Cl@ve, allows users to see gaming accounts linked to their identity. These tools do not replace the mandatory payment ownership checks. They only complement them.