Key data
| Regulation | Resolution of June 26, 2026, Secretariat of the Commission for the Prevention of Money Laundering and Monetary Violations |
|---|---|
| BOE Publication | July 10, 2026 |
| Effective date | July 10, 2026 |
| Sanctioned company | 888 Online Games España, SA |
| File | ST/4006/2024 |
| Ministerial resolution | June 23, 2025 |
| Total sanction amount | €551,952 (two fines of €275,976 each) |
| Type of violation | Two serious violations of Law 10/2010 |
| Affected parties | Online gaming companies and sectors obligated by anti-money laundering regulations |
| Category | Business Regulations |
€551,952 in fines and name published in the BOE. That is what it costs 888 Online Games Spain to not have its money laundering prevention system in order. The Ministry of Economy has resolved the sanctioning file ST/4006/2024 with two serious sanctions under the Law 10/2010, of April 28, on the Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism. The resolution is final in administrative proceedings as of June 23, 2025 and was published in the BOE on July 10, 2026.
The case is a direct warning for the entire online gaming sector: the violations detected are not minor technicalities. They are two basic obligations of the anti-money laundering system that any operator must have implemented and functioning.
What does this regulation establish?
The resolution publishes and makes public the sanction imposed on 888 Online Games España, SA for two serious violations of the Law 10/2010 on the Prevention of Money Laundering. Each violation carries an independent fine of €275,976 plus public reprimand.
| Violation | Article breached | Description | Sanction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serious violation 1 | Art. 6 — Law 10/2010 | Failure to conduct continuous monitoring of the business relationship with customers | €275,976 + public reprimand |
| Serious violation 2 | Art. 17 — Law 10/2010 | Failure to conduct special examination of suspicious or unusual transactions | €275,976 + public reprimand |
What does article 6 require? It obliges obligated entities to conduct continuous monitoring of the business relationship, including scrutiny of transactions carried out throughout that relationship to ensure they are consistent with the company's knowledge of the customer, their activity and their risk profile.
What does article 17 require? It obliges to examine with special attention any transaction that, by its nature, may be related to money laundering or financing of terrorism. If after that examination there are still indications, the obligated entity must report it to the Executive Service of the Commission (SEPBLAC).
The public reprimand that accompanies both sanctions implies the publication of the company's name and the violation committed in the BOE, with the deterrent and reputational effect that this entails.
Economic and operational impact
The impact is not limited to the €551,952 fine. Publication in the BOE as sanctioned for serious anti-money laundering violations generates reputational damage that can affect the trust of partners, regulators and customers. In a sector as regulated as online gaming, appearing in the BOE as a serious violator has consequences that go beyond the amount of the fine.
From an operational perspective, the two violations detected point to systemic deficiencies in the anti-money laundering compliance program:
- Absence or insufficiency of continuous customer monitoring: implies that transaction monitoring systems were not functioning correctly or did not cover all risk profiles.
- Lack of special examination procedure: indicates that there was no—or was not applied—a formal protocol to escalate and analyze suspicious transactions before deciding whether to report them to SEPBLAC.
Correcting these deficiencies requires investment in monitoring technology, review of internal procedures, compliance team training and, in many cases, hiring specialized personnel. The cost of adaptation can be significant, but is far less than the risk of a similar sanction.
Who does it affect?
This resolution is directly relevant to all entities obligated by Law 10/2010. In particular:
- Online gaming operators licensed in Spain (online casinos, sports betting, online poker, online bingo).
- Physical casinos and gaming rooms with anti-money laundering obligations.
- Financial and payment entities that operate with clients in the gaming sector.
- Compliance managers and regulatory compliance officers of any entity obligated by Law 10/2010.
- Executives and CFOs of companies in the sector who must validate the adequacy of their prevention programs.
- Legal advisors and compliance consultants providing services to gaming operators.
Practical example
Imagine a medium-sized online sports betting operator that has implemented a basic KYC (know your customer) system at the time of registration, but does not have an automated system for continuous monitoring of subsequent transactions.
A customer registered two years ago starts making deposits and withdrawals of high amounts with unusual frequency. Without an active continuous monitoring system (art. 6), no one in the company detects the pattern. Without a special examination protocol (art. 17), even if someone detected it manually, there would be no formal procedure to analyze it and decide whether to report it to SEPBLAC.
That operator would be incurring exactly the same two violations that have cost 888 Online Games Spain €275,976 for each one, plus the publication of its name in the BOE. The resolution of file ST/4006/2024 makes clear that the Commission for the Prevention of Money Laundering is actively inspecting the sector and that systemic deficiencies are sanctioned harshly.
What should companies do now?
- Audit the continuous customer monitoring system (art. 6): verify that there is active technology or procedure that monitors customer transactions continuously and alerts on behavior inconsistent with their risk profile.
- Review the special examination protocol for transactions (art. 17): confirm that there is a documented and operational procedure to identify, escalate and analyze suspicious transactions, with clear criteria on when to report to SEPBLAC.
- Document the procedures: the existence of systems is not sufficient if not documented. The sanctioning file is built on evidence; documentation is the first line of defense.
- Train the compliance team: ensure that those responsible know their obligations under articles 6 and 17 of Law 10/2010 and know how to act when an alert occurs.
- Conduct an internal review or external audit: if there are doubts about the adequacy of the anti-money laundering program, now is the time to commission a review before the regulator does. The cost of an audit is far less than a €275,976 fine per violation.
- Review the Money Laundering Prevention Manual: update the internal manual to reflect current procedures and ensure it is aligned with current requirements of Law 10/2010.
Frequently asked questions
How much was the fine to 888 Online Games Spain for anti-money laundering?
The total sanction amounts to €551,952, consisting of two individual fines of €275,976 each. The first for failing to conduct continuous monitoring of the business relationship (art. 6 of Law 10/2010) and the second for failing to conduct special examination of suspicious transactions (art. 17). Both sanctions are accompanied by public reprimand with publication in the BOE.
Which articles of Law 10/2010 did 888 Online Games violate?
Two serious violations were sanctioned: article 6 (continuous monitoring of the business relationship) and article 17 (special examination of suspicious or unusual transactions). Both are basic obligations of the money laundering prevention program that must be implemented by all entities obligated by Law 10/2010.
What does the public reprimand that accompanies the sanction mean?
The public reprimand means that the name of the sanctioned company and the description of the violation are published in the Official State Gazette (BOE). It is an additional deterrent measure to the economic fine, with significant reputational impact in a sector as regulated as online gaming.
When is the sanction to 888 Online Games Spain final?
The resolution of file ST/4006/2024 was issued by the Minister on June 23, 2025 and is final in administrative proceedings. Its publication in the BOE took place on July 10, 2026, the date from which it takes public effect.
What should online gaming operators do to avoid a similar sanction?
They must ensure they have implemented and documented: (1) a continuous customer monitoring system that monitors transactions and detects behavior inconsistent with the risk profile, and (2) a formal special examination protocol for suspicious transactions with clear escalation and reporting criteria to SEPBLAC. Both are express obligations of Law 10/2010 whose violation can cost €275,976 per violation.
Official source
Consult complete regulation in official source
Notice: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-15121