Banks in Turkey help in the fight against illegal gambling

• The fight against illegal gambling in Turkey intensified with banks sending messages to their clients
• Customers were informed that access to their accounts is for personal use and under no circumstances should they grant third-party individuals access to their bank accounts or cards
• If a person permits a third party to access their account, they risk liability for crimes like illegal gambling, fraud and money laundering

In mid-December, lawmakers in Turkey advanced a plan against illegal gambling.

The nationwide crackdown against black market gambling saw leading Turkish banks inform their customers about the dangers of lending their accounts.

People should not allow third parties to access their bank accounts

As announced by the local media outlet, Bursa Arena, customers of several banks received messages reminding them that their cards, bank accounts and other financial solutions are for their personal use only.

Coinciding with the government crackdown on illegal gambling, the informative approach was greenlighted by Yılmaz Tunç, the Minister of Justice in the Cabinet of Recep Tayyip Erdogan and a politician of the Justice and Development Party.

The messages described that if a person permits their account to be accessed by a third-party, they may be liable for potentially facilitating criminal activities, including but not limited to illegal gambling, money laundering, terrorism financing and fraud.

This otherwise means that even if a person agrees to grant access to their bank account or card to another person, they are still liable for the transactions carried out.

Reportedly, a message sent to Ziraat Bank customers, quoted by Tribuna.com, reads: "Dear customer, under no circumstances should you allow third parties to use your accounts."

The message further read: "Using your account in this way may facilitate illegal gambling, fraud, laundering of criminal proceeds, or financing of terrorism and may lead to legal consequences. For your information, we wish you a healthy day."

A similar message was sent to ICBC Bank customers who were notified that their accounts must be used only by them.

ICBC Bank's clients are also encouraged to prevent third-party individuals from accessing their accounts and are notified that, in such cases, they may face criminal proceedings.

In the autumn, Turkey's gambling watchdog announced it had taken action against 30 social media accounts, cracking down on illegal gambling ads.

At the time, the gambling regulator said those accounts promoted illegal betting and gambling, which resulted in a block by the local authorities.

Late in October, a worrying scandal shook football fans in Turkey.

At the time, the Turkish Football Federation confirmed that 152 football referees bet on the sport, resulting in concerns about match-fixing and manipulation.

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