Turkish state banks aim to make things more difficult for gamblers

Betting features have been removed from digital banking platforms while new behavioural monitoring could affect gamblers’ credit scores.

Turkey.- Banks in Turkey have removed direct payment tools linking to betting platforms and introduced new monitoring mechanisms that could limit regular gamblers’ access to credit. The measures follow renewed warnings from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan about the social and economic risks posed by digital gambling.

The country’s three largest state-owned lenders, Ziraat Bankası, VakıfBank and Halkbank, have removed “Games of Chance” sections from their mobile and online banking applications. These features had enabled fast transfers to betting and lottery websites, often without clear transaction limits.

The move forms part of the government’s Action Plan to Combat Illegal Betting, Games of Chance and Gambling in Digital Environments, which places “prevention within the financial system” among its seven priority areas. Authorities believe that reducing convenience is key to discouraging habitual gambling, both via illegal platforms and licensed operators.

Mwanwhile, updated assessment criteria will track repeated gambling-related transactions, allowing banks to classify certain customers as having a potential gambling dependency risk. Banking sources indicate that customers who frequently transfer funds to betting platforms may see their credit scores affected, lowering their chances of obtaining consumer loans, credit cards or other financing.

In some cases, banks may apply a “reasonable suspicion” principle, assuming that loans issued to individuals with gambling risk profiles could be used for betting purposes. Such customers may be placed on internal watchlists or blacklists, further restricting access to financial products.

Private banks have yet to introduce such measures.

See also:

See also: Turkish president issues warning on online gambling

Betting features have been removed from digital banking platforms while new behavioural monitoring could affect gamblers’ credit scores. Turkey.- Banks in Turkey have removed direct payment tools linking to betting platforms and introduced new monitoring mechanisms that could limit regular gamblers’ access to credit. The measures follow renewed warnings from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan about…