MASAK regulation in the Official Gazette: New era in betting and e-commerce

The Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) has implemented new oversight mechanisms as part of the fight against money laundering, specifically targeting transactions conducted through betting companies. With the new regulation, providing services to customers is prohibited until the specified conditions are met. In the same scope, rules regarding identity verification in electronic commerce have also been updated.

MASAK has amended General Communiqué No. 5 to prevent transactions from being conducted solely through the declaration of an identity document. The decision, published in the Official Gazette, aims to prevent the source of funds and the true owner from remaining hidden.

CREDIT CARD PRACTICE REMOVED

Within the scope of the regulation concerning entities that offer games of chance and betting exclusively in electronic environments, new conditions have been introduced for virtual dealers operating without a physical storefront. Accordingly, it has become mandatory to enter into a contract with a bank established in Turkey for the electronic execution of collection and payment transactions.

For applications made by customers in electronic environments, it has been made a requirement to verify identity information (first name, last name, date of birth, nationality, Turkish ID number or foreign ID number) via the database of the Ministry of Interior's General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs, to obtain business and occupation information, and to ensure all payment transactions are carried out through a bank account belonging to the verified customer.

Furthermore, before customer acceptance, it has become mandatory to transfer funds from a bank account compatible with the identity information to a verification account created for this purpose. No customer will be accepted and no services will be provided until this transfer is completed. This practice will enter into force as of February 1, 2026.

NEW OBLIGATIONS IN E-COMMERCE

A new article covering transactions related to electronic commerce intermediary service providers has been added to the communiqué. Additionally, changes have been made to the regulations regarding identity verification for bank accounts opened at the request of public institutions and organizations.

For these accounts opened to facilitate mandatory payments, provided that identity verification is performed before payment is made to the beneficiary, it will be sufficient to obtain the first name, last name, date of birth, nationality, and ID number for individuals, and the trade name, trade registration number, and tax identification number for legal entities.

The requirement to obtain a signature sample has been removed, provided that identity information is verified through the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs database. However, these accounts will not be permitted for use until identity verification is completed.

News Source: 12punto