AMLA Launches Consultation on AML Risk Standards for Gambling Operators

The European Union’s Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) has opened a public consultation inviting licensed gambling operators to contribute to draft Regulatory Technical Standards (RTS) on risk profiling and risk-based supervision. The consultation will remain open until September 27, targeting both online and land-based gambling firms, along with other non-financial sectors such as real estate financing, luxury goods sales, and art dealing.

The proposed RTS outline how national supervisory bodies will assess money-laundering and terrorist-financing risks for obligated entities outside the financial industry. AMLA acknowledges that compliance frameworks designed for banks are not suitable for non-financial businesses and that sector-specific rules are necessary to prevent disproportionate compliance burdens.

Stakeholder feedback is considered essential to refine the risk-assessment methodology. Key issues highlighted by AMLA include proportional reporting requirements, the treatment of smaller operators, and the costs of implementation. The consultation reflects a broader push for harmonised oversight across high-risk sectors.

AMLA was established earlier this year with a mandate to strengthen cooperation among EU member states in combating financial crime. While gambling licensing remains a national competence, the authority aims to develop consistent RTS and supervisory guidelines so that national regulators apply anti-money-laundering rules using shared risk-based principles.

Sweden’s gambling regulator, Spelinspektionen, has urged its licensees to take part in the consultation. It noted that the draft RTS “will form the basis for the supervisory authorities’ work on risk classification and supervision,” adding that further consultations are expected later this year.