The European Union’s new Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) has launched a public consultation that could significantly influence how licensed gambling operators are supervised across the bloc, calling on the industry to contribute to the development of a common framework for anti-money laundering (AML) oversight.
The consultation, which opened on 13 July and will remain active until 27 September, focuses on draft Regulatory Technical Standards (RTS) covering risk assessments for non-financial sectors, including both online and land-based gambling operators. The initiative is designed to establish a harmonised methodology that national regulators can use to assess money laundering and terrorist financing risks across EU member states.
AMLA, which officially began operations in 2026 after being established under the EU’s wider AML reform package, aims to improve consistency in AML supervision while strengthening cooperation between national authorities. The agency is responsible for creating a unified AML rulebook and ensuring that similar risks are assessed using the same standards throughout the European Union.
Under the proposed framework, regulators would classify gambling businesses according to their inherent AML risks, allowing supervisory resources to be directed toward higher-risk operators. AMLA has stressed that the rules should reflect the characteristics of individual sectors rather than simply replicate requirements designed for banks and other financial institutions.
The authority is also seeking industry feedback on several practical issues, including proportional reporting requirements, the treatment of smaller operators and the potential compliance costs associated with the new standards. According to AMLA, the consultation will help ensure that future obligations remain effective without placing unnecessary burdens on businesses.
Sweden’s gambling regulator, Spelinspektionen, has already encouraged licensed operators to participate, noting that the technical standards will become an important foundation for future risk classification and supervisory activities. The regulator also indicated that additional AMLA consultations are expected later this year.
The consultation forms part of a broader shift in EU policy. While gambling licensing continues to remain the responsibility of individual member states, Brussels is increasingly pursuing common standards in areas such as financial crime prevention, digital safety and consumer protection rather than creating a single EU gambling regime.
Alongside AML reforms, the EU is advancing initiatives including the Digital Services Act to combat illegal gambling promotion online and a Europe-wide age verification framework expected to influence identity checks and player onboarding across regulated gambling markets. Separately, discussions continue around a proposal for an EU-wide gambling levy as part of negotiations on the Union’s 2028–2034 budget.