Joint deposit limits in online gaming 2026: what changes for operators

Key data

State-licensed online gaming operators have a new operational and technical obligation in force from the same day of its publication. The Royal Decree 520/2026 introduces a system of joint deposit limits per player that aggregates, in real time, all deposits that the same user makes across different operators. It is no longer sufficient to control the limit within your own platform: the cap is transversal across the entire market.

The regulation modifies two current royal decrees: RD 1614/2011 (gaming licenses, authorizations and registries) and RD 176/2023 (safer gaming environments). The impact is immediate and affects both the technical architecture of operators and their information obligations to players.

What does this regulation establish?

Royal Decree 520/2026 articulates a system of deposit limits at two levels that operate in a complementary manner:

The most relevant technical and privacy aspects of the new system are:

• The General Directorate for Gaming Regulation manages the centralized technical platform and is the only entity with access to the player's global data, which minimizes privacy risks compared to models where operators share data with each other.
• Players will be able to modify or delete their joint limits, thus maintaining user autonomy.
• The control periods are three: daily, weekly, and four-week.

In addition to deposit limits, the regulation introduces two additional significant changes for operators:

• Elimination of mortgages on real estate as a valid form of guarantee to obtain or maintain operator licenses. The amounts of required guarantees are updated.
• Obligation to include express reference to the new joint limits system in the responsible gaming section of operators' portals.

Economic and operational impact

The impact for operators materializes on three simultaneous fronts:

1. Technical integration with the DGOJ platform. Operators must connect their systems with the DGOJ's centralized platform to send and receive deposit information in real time. This involves technological development, integration testing, and continuous maintenance. The cost will depend on the state of each operator's technical architecture, but none are exempt.

2. Guarantee review. The elimination of mortgages on real estate as a valid guarantee requires operators that had them established to replace them with other admitted forms, also adapting to the new updated amounts. This can have an impact on liquidity or the structure of bank guarantees.

3. Portal update (responsible gaming section). Obligation to include express reference to the joint limits system. It is a minor change in terms of cost, but required from the effective date.

Who does it affect?

• Online gaming operators with Spanish state licenses: affected in their entirety, without exception by size or gaming modality.
• Technology and compliance departments of operators: responsible for technical integration with the DGOJ and portal updates.
• Financial and legal departments: must review established guarantees given the elimination of mortgages on real estate as a valid form.
• Players with accounts on multiple platforms: will see an aggregate cap applied to their deposits, regardless of which operator they make them with.
• Advisors and consultants in the gaming sector: must update their compliance diagnostics for all their operator clients.

Practical example

A player has active accounts with three different state-licensed operators. Before RD 520/2026, each operator controlled only deposits made on its own platform: if the individual limit was €600 per week per operator, the player could deposit up to €1,800 per week in total distributed among the three.

With the new system, the DGOJ aggregates all the player's deposits across the three operators on its centralized platform. If the established joint weekly limit exceeds the set threshold, the system blocks new deposits on any of the platforms, regardless of how much they have deposited on each one separately. The operator receives the blocking signal from the DGOJ without accessing the player's data from the other platforms, thus preserving privacy.

For the operator, this means that a deposit that was previously technically valid in their system may be rejected by the joint limit managed externally. Their systems must be prepared to handle these responses in real time.

What should operators do now?

1. Audit current technical architecture to identify the changes needed to integrate with the DGOJ's centralized platform. The sooner you start, the lower the risk of non-compliance.
2. Contact the DGOJ to obtain the technical specifications for integration with the joint limits platform and plan the connection schedule.
3. Review established guarantees: if you have mortgages on real estate as a license guarantee, initiate the process of replacing them with admitted forms and adapt to the new updated amounts.
4. Update the responsible gaming section of your portal to include express reference to the joint deposit limits system, as required by the regulation from its effective date of 25/06/2026.
5. Inform your player support team about the new system operation, as players will receive deposit rejections due to causes external to the platform and will need explanation.
6. Review communication flows with players about the ability to modify or delete their joint limits, ensuring this option is accessible and understandable on the portal.

Official source

Consult complete regulation at official source

Disclaimer: 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-2026-13762