Turkish authorities are ramping up efforts to combat illegal gambling websites, as the country’s Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek declared “Turkey is in a great battle against illegal betting and gambling sites.”
The National Lottery Administration (MPİ) reported that it blocked 233,000 websites in 2023 and 2024. Of these, 56% originated in the USA, 17% in Armenia, and 6% in the Netherlands.
The MPİ passed on its findings to the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Cybercrime Department for further investigation. Legal actions are underway against 376,000 websites and over 6,700 unique domains.
Şimşek underlined the significant threat of these black-market websites when it comes to the prosperity of the Turkish economy, undermining tax revenues from state-owned enterprises like Milli Piyango (National Lottery) and IDDAA (sports betting).
He emphasised: “We are determined to prevent unregistered economic activities and financial crimes that harm our citizens. Our fight against illegal betting, virtual gambling, and unauthorised draws will continue.”
To counter these threats, the Treasury and Finance Ministry plan to scrutinise social media platforms where illicit gambling activities are promoted. New initiatives include revising Turkey’s criminal codes to impose stricter fines and increase imprisonment terms to three to six years.
The MPİ will also launch a nationwide awareness campaign, educating citizens across Turkey’s 81 provinces about the risks of illegal gambling websites.
Turkey banned non-state-sanctioned gambling in 2006. However, enforcement remains challenging due to the lack of a legal framework to classify gambling activities.
The sector is further complicated by oversight split across three bodies: the National Lottery Administration, the Turkish Spor Toto Organisation and the Jockey Club of Turkey. This fragmented approach has led to Turkey being labelled a “grey market” by international operators.
In 2019, a joint venture between Sisal (Flutter Entertainment) and Turkish media giant Demirören Holdings (SANs AS) secured the Government’s tender to operate the Milli Piyango contract.
Since 2014, the AKP Government under Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has maintained monopoly control over gambling, with no plans to revise current legislation.
