Turkey identifies 230,000 illegal gambling sites
The minister for treasury and finance has pledged to step up action against unlicenced providers.
Turkey.- The Ministry of Treasury and Finance has promised more action against unlicenced gambling in Turkey after the National Lottery Administration (MPI) requested blocks against 233,000 unlicenced gaming sites identified in 2024 – an increase from 168,000 sites in the previous year.
The regulator said that over half of the illegal sites were located in the US while 17 per cent were based in Armenia and 6 per cent were from the Netherlands. The unlicenced sites identified were reported to the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and the National Cyber Crimes Department for investigation. Meanwhile, the MPI lodged criminal complaints against 286 unauthorised lottery draws.
Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek said: “We are determined to prevent unregistered economic activities and financial crimes that cause a tax loss and the victimisation of our citizens. We are taking all kinds of measures to prevent illegal betting, virtual gambling and unauthorised lottery draws, and we will continue to do so.”
As for lottery offences, Şimşek noted that organising a lottery without authorisation can lead to imprisonment of up to six years and a fine. “Permission is required for organising any kind of lottery or raffle for paid or free goods,” he said.
Turkey maintains a monopoly system for online gambling with state-owned IDDAA the only operator allowed to target the market. A clampdown on illegal betting has led to notable arrests, such as those of actor Atakan Yilmaz and influencer Kerimcan Durmaz, both of whom are accused of promoting illegal gambling. Durmaz was accused of promoting illegal betting during a live DJ performance in Malta.