Turkey’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) has been granted expanded powers to directly monitor financial transactions in order to “prevent the proceeds of crime”.
The Ministry of Treasury and Finance confirmed these changes in the latest issue of Turkey’s Official Gazette. The publication officially informs government bodies and business entities about the new regulatory compliance requirements that MASAK will begin implementing on February 1, 2026.
Under the updated General Communiqué, MASAK is authorized to oversee and regulate customer identification procedures for online transactions. The directive strengthens these obligations “within the framework of preventing money laundering and terrorist financing.”
The reforms align with the unified strategy of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) aimed at combating illegal gambling, unlicensed betting, and cybercrime. This policy is being implemented under the directives of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who instructed government institutions to intensify efforts against illegal gambling networks ahead of the next general elections.
MASAK’s authority now extends across multiple digital sectors, including gambling and betting activities, e-commerce services, fintech platforms and payment systems, as well as insurance and pension operators. The communiqué states that regulated entities must conduct customer identification “before establishing a business relationship or executing a transaction.”
For gambling and betting operations, specific rules apply: banks are required to verify that payments originate from accounts “matching the customer’s identification information.” MASAK emphasizes that clients cannot be admitted and transactions cannot be processed until verification is completed under the new rules.
The framework ensures that, once verified, gambling-related transactions are conducted exclusively through state-licensed operators, including İddaa (sports betting), Milli Piyango (lotteries), and Türkiye Jokey Kulübü (horse racing). The directive notes that these measures are intended to “prevent misuse of financial systems” and to “strengthen lawful financial channels for Turkish state enterprises.”
All financial institutions facilitating payments must implement enhanced onboarding procedures to prevent the use of falsified or misrepresented information, as well as accounts associated with prior criminal activity.
The new powers granted to MASAK are specifically designed to prevent criminal syndicates from accessing Turkey’s payment infrastructure and to disrupt the use of fraudulent accounts and false identities within the country’s economic system.
The communiqué explicitly states that accounts opened under the new framework “shall not be used until identity verification is completed,” effectively embedding banks and payment service providers into Turkey’s digital identity verification infrastructure.
Full State Control
Following President Erdoğan’s directives, Turkish authorities have been instructed to strengthen monitoring and enforcement against illegal online gambling across all government institutions.
MASAK has been designated as the lead agency for implementing the expanded government “Action Plan” to eliminate illegal gambling, coordinating closely with the Ministry of Justice. As part of this plan, Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç, under the 11th Judicial Package of reforms, introduced changes granting prosecutors additional powers to seize, freeze, and prosecute assets and bank accounts linked to illegal betting operations.
At the end of 2025, the Ministry of Justice also instructed Turkish banks to issue direct warnings to customers, stating that participation in or facilitation of illegal online gambling could result in criminal prosecution and conviction.
President Erdoğan and Minister Tunç emphasized that the fight against illegal gambling operators will not be confined solely within Turkey’s borders. In 2026, MASAK has been instructed to initiate prosecutions and shut down operators that knowingly targeted Turkish citizens with gambling offers from certain foreign countries, including Cyprus, Georgia, North Macedonia, Armenia, and others.
With its expanded powers, MASAK now occupies a central role in Turkey’s comprehensive state enforcement system under the government’s Action Plan. The strategy reflects President Erdoğan’s political course aimed at eradicating illegal gambling activity, which authorities believe has penetrated state institutions, banking and payment infrastructure, the digital economy, and professional football.
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