Türkiye has been intensifying its efforts to rein in the illegal gambling market, which has been a continuous focus of law enforcement and judicial efforts, with a new strategy outlined by the country’s Justice Minister, Yılmaz Tunç.
New Action Plan Set to Intensify Crackdown Against Illegal Gambling in Türkiye
In the latest such effort, the country’s commercial banks have started sending messages to their account holders, highlighting the risks of engaging with unlicensed gambling websites or facilitating services and transfers on their behalf.
Ziraat Bankası, Türkiye İş, and Garanti BBVA, all large banks in the country, have already started sending such missives to their customers before the New Year.
Tunç has described these measures as part of his “Action Plan” designed to help the ruling party tackle the proliferation of illegal websites.
It also comes as part of expanded powers for the judiciary, which will now be able to act much swifter in cases concerning illegal gambling and financial crimes.
As banks will continue sending customers warning messages, they will also have an obligation to proactively step in and block payments and transfers to and from such companies, while also flagging them to the relevant authorities.
Banks would also have to provide full details about specific accounts singled out by law enforcement within 10 days, so investigators may move in and ensure that offenders are detected and brought to justice quickly.
Corruption in Soccer Comes to Light as Law Enforcement Addresses It
Good financial intelligence is one of the essential pillars of this new plan, as it would allow Türkiye to focus on harmful transactions and operations.
Besides trying to stem the tide of illegal gambling in the country, Türkiye has also been caught up in chasing after corruption in sports.
At least 20 suspects were arrested in early December, tied to a large-scale corruption probe into the country’s top-flight and secondary soccer leagues.