Turkish State Banks Tighten Controls on Digital Gambling Transactions

Following strong warnings from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan about the growing threat of digital gambling to family structures and social stability, Turkey’s public banking sector has launched a sweeping set of measures aimed at curbing gambling-related financial activity. The new approach signals a decisive shift in how the financial system engages with both legal and illegal betting platforms, placing prevention at the center of banking policy.

President Erdoğan’s remarks, emphasizing that “every smartphone has effectively turned into a casino,” appear to have accelerated regulatory coordination across public institutions. In response, state-owned banks have begun dismantling digital tools that previously enabled fast, frictionless transfers to gambling and betting platforms.

Public Banks Remove Gambling Features From Digital Channels

Ziraat Bankası, VakıfBank, and Halkbank have removed the “Games of Chance” sections from all their digital banking channels, including mobile applications and online platforms. These sections had allowed users to transfer funds directly to betting and lottery sites with minimal effort and no transaction limits.

The decision was implemented under the framework of the “Action Plan to Combat Illegal Betting, Games of Chance, and Gambling in Digital Environments.” Within this plan, one of the seven priority areas is “prevention within the financial system,” which encompasses the banks’ latest actions.

According to Sabah’s reporting, the removal of these features is intended not only to block illegal gambling activity but also to make access to legally operating betting platforms significantly more difficult. Officials believe that reducing convenience is a critical step in discouraging habitual gambling behavior.

Financial Monitoring Enters a New Phase

The measures extend well beyond user interface changes. Banks have introduced new behavioral assessment criteria to monitor how customers use their accounts, particularly for repeated gambling-related transactions.

Under the updated framework, individuals who regularly transfer funds to gambling or betting websites may be categorized as having a gambling dependency risk. This classification carries tangible financial consequences, marking a major shift in how personal spending habits intersect with creditworthiness assessments.

Credit Scores and Blacklisting Risks

One of the most consequential elements of the new policy involves credit evaluation. Banking sources indicate that customers identified as frequently funding gambling platforms may see their credit scores reduced. As a result, their likelihood of securing consumer loans, credit cards, or other forms of financing could decline sharply.

In addition, the principle of “reasonable suspicion” has been introduced into lending decisions. Under this principle, banks may assume that loans extended to individuals with a gambling risk profile could be used for betting purposes. In such cases, customers may be placed on internal watchlists or blacklists, further restricting their access to financial products.

This approach represents a notable expansion of risk assessment beyond traditional metrics such as income, debt, and repayment history, incorporating behavioral indicators into credit decisions.

Private Banks Yet to Follow Suit

While public banks have acted decisively, private banks have not yet implemented similar restrictions. Currently, customers of private financial institutions can still transfer funds to gambling and betting platforms, typically paying a small transaction fee of around 15.75 Turkish lira.

An additional point of public criticism has emerged around transaction costs. In many cases, banks charge higher commissions for standard peer-to-peer transfers, such as EFT or wire transfers, than for payments to gambling platforms. This discrepancy has intensified calls for sector-wide reform and regulatory harmonization.

The Socioeconomic Cost of Gambling

Data compiled by the Green Crescent (Yeşilay) and its counseling network, Yeşilay Danışmanlık Merkezleri (YEDAM), highlights the scale of the problem authorities are attempting to address. According to these figures, gambling addiction imposes an estimated annual cost of approximately 40 billion US dollars on Turkey’s economy.

The data also provides insight into demographic trends. Around 86.5 percent of individuals seeking support for gambling addiction through YEDAM have a high school education or higher, while the average age at which gambling begins is calculated at 21.41 years.

In terms of behavior patterns, sports betting is identified as the most common entry point into gambling, cited by 65 percent of applicants, followed by casino-style games. Social influence also plays a significant role, with roughly three-quarters of applicants reporting that close friends also engage in gambling activities.