Turkish Government Blocks ₺5bn in Underground Gambling Money, Cancels Six Payment Permits

Key Points

• Turkish officials have successfully frozen approximately ₺5bn ($114m) in underground gambling proceeds whilst securing connected assets throughout 2025.
• The Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey stripped six payment companies of their operating permits, whilst enforcement teams simultaneously pursued cryptocurrency networks and banking channels.
• Mehmet Simsek issued a stark reminder to residents that permitting their financial accounts for gambling purposes would expose them to potential criminal liability.

Throughout 2025, Turkish authorities intercepted roughly ₺5 billion ($114.38 million) linked to illegal betting and gambling operations before they could enter the financial system. Security forces halted money laundering attempts worth about TL 5bn ($114m) by freezing transactions connected to criminal gambling activities. These enforcement actions targeted individuals profiting from illicit betting schemes whilst simultaneously attacking the financial mechanisms that facilitated the movement of dirty money through otherwise legitimate institutions.

MASAK Uncovers Organised Betting Laundering Networks in 2025

Operating under the Treasury and Finance Ministry, the Financial Crimes Investigation Board reported that 2025 investigations exposed organised networks utilising payment firms, cryptocurrency platforms, bank accounts, foreign currency and crypto assets to move illegal proceeds across the country. Board officials identified perpetrators involved in illegal betting and gambling operations whilst tracking transactions linked to organised crime groups. Legal and financial measures followed these discoveries, freezing or blocking assets as criminals attempted to transfer them. Land-based casinos have faced prohibition since 1998, and online gambling operates legally only through the country’s state-owned sports betting and lottery monopolies. Foreign operators and online gaming constitute criminal offences under the current law. The government remains committed to these restrictions, treating them as part of a broader financial disruption process beyond standard enforcement practices.

Authorities halted the illicit activities of six payment and electronic money institutions as part of the crackdown, targeting firms that systematically allowed illegal betting proceeds into the financial system. Their operating licences faced revocation by the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey. Asset seizures hit one crypto asset service provider, whilst judicial authorities issued a separate seizure order against another crypto platform suspected of facilitating illegal betting transactions. Multiple bank accounts connected to illegal betting and money laundering were closed during the investigation. Criminal networks had built a payment infrastructure designed to resemble legitimate financial services. Virtual POS systems served as their primary tool for collecting funds. Authorities implemented stronger supervision measures and established fresh restrictions on cryptocurrency movements, with stablecoins receiving particular scrutiny. Payment companies, electronic money operators and digital currency service providers throughout the nation must now meet more demanding compliance standards. Measures addressing risks from simplified customer verification became part of the new regulatory framework.

Mehmet Simsek Warns Public Over Illegal Betting Risks

Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek issued warnings to citizens about online gambling dangers and their personal responsibility to avoid illegal gambling activities. “I would like to strongly remind our citizens once again that they may face undesirable criminal consequences if they rent out or allow others to use their accounts,” the minister stated during his announcement. He revealed that illegal betting organisers have recently begun using bank, payment, electronic money, and crypto asset accounts belonging to third parties. Citizens who rent out or grant access to their accounts through arrangements like “temporary use,” “entrustment,” or “commission-based access” may find themselves participating in illegal betting and money laundering. The minister’s warning reflects growing concern about how criminal networks exploit ordinary people’s financial accounts.

The minister revealed that some organisers obtained authorisation from individuals to establish limited companies and used those companies’ accounts to collect illegal proceeds. Citizens must not allow companies established in their name to be used by people they do not actually know, he stressed during his announcement. Authorities will continue suspending operations, revoking licences and seizing assets in coordination with financial regulators and law enforcement agencies. These actions aim to block illegal betting funds from entering the financial system across the country. Criminal responsibility now falls on gamblers as much as operators when individuals intentionally attempt to circumvent restrictions.