Turkey's treasury and finance minister cracked down on the country's illegal gambling sector last year.
According to Turkey’s National Lottery Administration (MPI), 233,000 unlicensed betting and gambling websites were shut down in 2024. This was a marked increase from 2023, when the MPI blocked 168,030 sites.
The announcement came from state-backed news agency Anadolu Ajansi.
The blocked sites originated from 95 different countries, with 56% based in the United States, 17% in Armenia, and 6% in the Netherlands. The shutdown also extended to unauthorized draws and raffles, of which 286 cases were reported to prosecutors.
Furthermore, criminal complaints were filed with the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office for 375,367 websites and 6,731 unique domain names.
Unlicensed betting has been an ongoing issue in Turkey. In December, the Cyber Crimes Combat Department and the Gendarmerie General Command began a country-wide series of operations to reduce the number of unlicensed gambling dens.
These operations have led to the detainment of dozens of suspects, some including social media influencers who promoted illegal gambling products through their platforms. Similar action has been taken against celebrities and other high-profile characters who have promoted illegal products.
On that occasion, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya emphasized the importance of taking action against unlicensed gambling.
In light of the recent news, Treasury and Finance Minister, Mehmet Simsek, has reaffirmed Turkey’s stance on unlicensed betting, “We are determined to prevent unregistered economic activities and financial crimes that cause tax loss and victimisation of our citizens," he said. "We are taking all kinds of measures to prevent illegal betting, virtual gambling and unauthorised draws, and we will continue to do so.”
Simsek Warns Against Unauthorized Draws
Simsek has warned Turkish citizens against unauthorized draws. He also reminded organizers of lotteries and raffles on social media about how these should be conducted following Turkish gambling laws:
“I would like to remind you that in order to prevent our citizens from being victimzed, organizing a lottery or raffle without permission from the Administration is a crime punishable by imprisonment from three to six years and a judicial fine. Accordingly, permission is required for organizing any kind of lottery or raffle for paid or free goods. Otherwise, administrative, financial or criminal sanctions stipulated in the relevant legislation may be encountered.”
According to Simsek, Turkey will continue to battle criminal activities such as unlicensed online betting and unauthorized draws.
Similar Illegal Gambling Shut-Downs in Other Countries
Neighboring countries such as Bulgaria have also taken a strong stand against unlicensed gambling. In 2024, the Bulgarian National Revenue Agency (NRA) shut down more than 2,500 unlicensed gambling websites. The NRA Executive Director, Rumen Spetsov, issued more than 640 decisions to pause operations of unlicensed gambling platforms.
To keep the public informed and retain transparency, the NRA published all decisions and court rulings on its website. The NRA also keeps an updated register of unlicensed gambling sites and encourages Bulgarian users to report new ones.
In the U.S., the Maryland Lottery recently sent 11 cease-and-desist letters to online operators it deemed illegal, including sweepstakes casinos and social sportsbooks.
