Back in 2022, a national study on addictions in Spain found that 21.5% of students aged 14 to 18 had gambled for money in 2021. In response, the Social Parliamentary Group (SPG) proposed stricter ID verification requirements to help prevent minors from participating in betting activities. According to the institution, because gambling participation among minors tends to increase with age, early intervention was needed to prevent long-term harm.
Spain’s safer gambling plan could make casino onboarding a stronger identity check
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And in an official communique, SPG said, “The proposal urges the government to implement identification systems in gambling machines and slots to control the access of minors and self-excluded people, as well as to promote a design and structure of online games that are less addictive.”
Over the years, Spain has continued to tighten its approach to online casino safety. Remember, the country’s online gambling industry is quite extensive. According to Market Research Future, the sector has already reached €1.5 billion and could continue to make remarkable strides in the coming years. And this is largely because operators often use engaging features like no deposit free spins in Spain to keep players more connected.
But again, malicious actors are also drawn to the sector to take advantage of its high potential. In 2025 alone, authorities recorded 8,675 complaints linked to impersonated taxpayer identities used in gambling accounts, representing a 12% year-on-year increase. When stolen identities are used to open casino accounts or bypass restrictions, the entire licensing ecosystem becomes vulnerable, which explains the country’s move to stricter onboarding regulations.
From simple KYC to real-time identity protection
In the past, accessing an online casino experience was quite straightforward. You’d submit documents, wait for a basic verification check, and once the system gave the green light, you were in. It was a system built around convenience above all else. But convenience, as you may know, can be problematic. It can increase exposure, prompting even vulnerable audiences to participate.
Unfortunately, this is not theoretical. According to a recent 20minutos.es publication, 10% of underage online gamblers are spending over €300 in a single day. If Spain has to reduce these numbers, one area it must address is the point of entry itself. After all, once access is granted too easily, everything that follows becomes harder to control.
This explains why onboarding is becoming stricter. Operators no longer just verify someone once at registration; they keep confirming that the person using the account is the same individual throughout their interaction with the platform. Thankfully, the DGOJ’s (Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego) verification infrastructure already supports electronic validation of national ID numbers and foreign identification data using government registries.
As such, instead of a player simply entering a casino site and being welcomed after uploading a document, the system may pause and cross-check the identity before the account fully activates.
Fraud pressure is driving the tightening of onboarding systems
As already mentioned, Spain has been dealing with a steady rise in identity-related gambling fraud. Authorities reported thousands of cases where gambling winnings were incorrectly attributed to victims of identity theft. And when that happens, it creates an unexpected tax liability for someone who didn’t actively gamble.
And mark you, more than 7,600 cases of the affected individuals are listed on Spain’s self-exclusion register. There were also cases where underage gamblers accessed services using third-party identities.
It’s for that reason that the Ministry of Consumer Affairs announced a new identity tax verification protocol for licensed operators. With implementation led by the DGOJ in conjunction with the State Tax Agency, the protocol requires iGaming companies to strengthen customer verification and enhance checks on users’ tax status.
The need for these changes came after tax reporting rules were amended in 2025. The revised rules meant that gamblers with annual incomes exceeding €22,000 had to declare gambling winnings once they crossed the new €300 reporting threshold, a significant reduction from the previous €1,000 limit. Suddenly, even relatively small winnings could become part of official tax records, increasing the impact of fraudulent declarations.
But the government isn’t asleep. As part of the new protocol, the DGOJ launched the Automated Case Management System (PACS), which allows players to report fraudulent cases and regularize their tax position with the State Tax Agency.
What this means for the industry and beyond
Because of these efforts by Spain, the wider European market could eventually feel the ripple effects of stricter onboarding requirements. Imitation is one way gambling regulation evolves in Europe, and once one major market introduces systems that effectively reduce fraud, others could start paying attention.
Even promotional strategies may gradually adapt. Across Europe, operators have historically relied on highly accessible incentives to attract new users. Markets like Finland, for instance, have long been associated with aggressive bonus competition, with Finnish free spins campaigns becoming especially visible among Nordic-facing casino brands. But as the need for fraud-free gameplay increases, operators may be required to activate such bonuses only after stronger identity checks are completed.
Think of it this way: one of those victims of tax fraud wants to play some games of chance. If they encounter a platform that doesn’t support stronger verification systems, they’ll be less likely to sign up. But since no operator wants to lose potential customers, many of them may eventually feel pressured to adopt stronger onboarding systems.
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