Spain Wants Gambling Operators to Help Fund the Body That Will Police Them

Spain’s Council of Ministers has approved a draft anti-money-laundering bill that would require gambling operators to help fund the new regulatory authority tasked with policing them. The bill, passed at first reading on 28 July, establishes ANIFI, a consolidated AML body that will assume functions currently split across SEPBLAC and other agencies.

Under the proposed framework, ANIFI would be financed primarily through a levy imposed on licensed obliged entities, with both financial institutions and gambling operators explicitly named as contributors. The authority would also retain a limited share of fines it collects to supplement its budget.

Consolidating Spain’s AML Framework

The creation of ANIFI represents a significant restructuring of Spain’s anti-money-laundering infrastructure. The new authority will consolidate responsibilities that are currently fragmented across multiple agencies, including SEPBLAC, the country’s existing financial intelligence unit.

Critically, ANIFI is also designed to serve as Spain’s single point of contact with the European Union’s Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA), streamlining communication and compliance between Spanish entities and EU-level oversight. This alignment reflects broader efforts across member states to harmonize AML enforcement ahead of AMLA’s full operational launch.

What the Levy Means for Operators

For gambling operators licensed in Spain, the draft bill introduces a new recurring cost structure. While the exact levy amounts have not yet been detailed in the first reading, the framework makes clear that gambling companies will be among the primary funding sources for ANIFI alongside financial institutions.

This approach effectively shifts part of the regulatory burden onto the industry itself, a model that has precedents in other jurisdictions but remains relatively uncommon in the European gambling sector. Operators will need to factor this levy into their cost base as a permanent operational expense, separate from existing licensing fees and taxes.

Industry Implications and Next Steps

The draft bill’s approval at first reading marks the beginning of Spain’s legislative process, not its conclusion. The proposal will now move through additional parliamentary stages where amendments and clarifications, including specific levy rates and collection mechanisms, are likely to be debated.

For B2B providers and platform operators serving the Spanish market, the development signals a tightening regulatory environment with increased compliance expectations and costs. Companies will need to monitor the bill’s progress closely as it moves toward final adoption, particularly regarding how levy calculations will be structured and whether they will be based on revenue, transaction volume, or other metrics.

The move also reflects a broader European trend toward more robust AML frameworks in gambling, with Spain positioning itself to meet evolving EU standards while creating a self-sustaining funding model for enforcement.