Turkey blocked nearly TRY5bn in suspected illegal betting proceeds in 2025, MASAK says

Turkey’s financial intelligence unit says it stopped transactions tied to illegal betting and gambling networks, tightening pressure on payment firms, e-money providers and crypto channels used to move and launder funds.

Turkey’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK), which operates under the Treasury and Finance Ministry, says it prevented roughly TRY 5bn in criminal proceeds linked to illegal betting and gambling from circulating through the financial system in 2025 by stopping suspicious transactions and applying seizure and blocking measures.

According to information Anadolu Agency said it obtained from the Ministry, MASAK’s 2025 work targeted both organisers and the financial “infrastructure” that enables the market to function, including payment and electronic money channels used to collect and redistribute betting funds at scale.

The report details follow-through actions against intermediaries: six payment and electronic money institutions faced activity cancellations by the Central Bank and seizure measures by judicial authorities, while a crypto-asset service provider was also placed under seizure as part of the crackdown.

MASAK also points to tighter preventive controls, including increased oversight of virtual POS usage, new limitations designed to reduce the movement of illegal betting funds through crypto rails, and multiple regulatory adjustments after identifying heightened risks from simplified customer onboarding in payments, e-money and crypto.

Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek, cited in the same briefing, warned the public about “proxy/entrusted” accounts being used by illegal betting organisers and said allowing third parties to use one’s bank, payment, e-money or crypto accounts can expose individuals to criminal liability related to illegal betting and money laundering.