Crypto Casino
Torrent Gear
Gambling and online casinos in Turkey
Turkey is a country with one of the strictest gambling regulatory systems in Europe and Asia.
After the complete ban on casinos in the late 1990s, the gambling business went underground, and online gambling became the new "gray zone" of the economy.
At the same time, the state retains control over legal lotteries and sports betting, managing them through state-owned companies and licensed operators.
Today, Turkey is a unique example of a dual model: on the one hand, an official ban, and on the other, the largest illegal online market in the region.
Historical context
Gambling in Turkey has a long history.
Casinos existed in the Ottoman Empire and were actively developed in the 1980-1990s.
In those years, more than 80 casinos worked, and Istanbul, Izmir and Ankara became centers of gambling tourism.
However, in 1998, following a series of corruption scandals and the "Susurluk affair," the government imposed a total ban on casinos (Ordinance No. 320/98).
The reasons are the fight against money laundering and the moral cleansing of society in the spirit of Islamic values.
From that moment on, gambling outside state control was declared illegal.
Legislative framework
Main documents:1. Law No. 7258 "On Sports Betting and Sweepstakes" (2007) - regulates the activities of SporToto.
2. Law No. 6132 "On National Lotteries" (1989, ed. 2019) - regulates the activities of Milli Piyango (Gosloterei).
3. Council of Ministers Resolution No. 98/11241 (1998) - a complete ban on casinos and gambling halls.
4. Law No. 5651 "On the Regulation of the Internet" (2007) - allows you to block online gambling sites.
5. Turkish Criminal Code (Article 228) - establishes responsibility for organizing gambling (up to 5 years in prison).
Key points:- casinos, slot machines and poker clubs are prohibited;
- only state-controlled lotteries and sports betting are allowed;
- participation of citizens in offshore online casinos - administrative violation (fine up to 5,000 TRY);
- organization of illegal games - a criminal offense (imprisonment up to 5 years);
- advertising of gambling outside the state monopoly is strictly prohibited.
Legal market
There are only two official forms of gambling in Turkey:- Sports Betting - SporToto (İddaa)
- belongs to the state holding Spor Toto Teşkilat Başkanlığı;
- online platform iddaaa. com works under the control of the Ministry of Youth and Sports;
- operational management from 2019 transferred to a consortium of Demirören Group and Scientific Games;
bets are only available on sports (football, basketball, tennis, eSports).
State Lotteries - Milli Piyango
valid since 1939;
since 2020, privatized by the Sisal-Şans consortium (together with the Italian Sisal and the Turkish Demirören Group);
annual turnover exceeds 10 billion Turkish lira;
includes national draws, instant lotteries and electronic games (Sayısal Loto, On Numara, Süper Loto).
According to the Ministry of Finance, the legal gambling market brings the budget more than 20 billion TRY per year (about $650 million).
Online gambling in Turkey
Online casinos, poker and foreign betting sites are officially banned, but the market is actively operating "in the shadows."
Thousands of Turkish players use VPNs, cryptocurrencies and offshore domains every day to access foreign platforms.
The main characteristics of the shadow market:- market volume is estimated at $5-8 billion per year;
- popular brands - 1xBet, Mostbet, Betwinner, Stake, GGbet, Melbet;
- calculations are carried out in USDT, BTC, TRX, Jeton, Papara, Binance Pay;
- Telegram and WhatsApp are actively used for "invitations" and payments;
- offshore sites adapt the interface to the Turkish language and offer lira (TRY).
According to the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK), in 2024, more than 1,200 illegal iGaming sites were identified
and the volume of shadow transactions exceeded 100 billion TRY ($3.2 billion).
Controlling and combating illegal gambling
Regulation and supervision are carried out by:- MASAK (Financial Investigation Board) - tracks cash flows;
- BTK (Turkey Internet Regulator) - blocks sites and IP addresses;
- Home Office - conducts raids and arrests;
- Banks and fintech companies are required to block transfers to foreign gambling accounts.
Social and religious aspect
Islam prohibits gambling as haram, a position actively supported by the state.
Religious leaders and Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı (Directorate of Religious Affairs) regularly issue fatwas condemning gambling.
However, there remains a high interest among the population in betting and lotto, especially among young people.
According to statistics, more than 4 million Turks have participated in illegal online games at least once.
Prospects
In recent years, the Turkish government has been considering the possibility of partial liberalization of the gambling market, focused on tourism and the export of iGaming technologies.
The following initiatives are discussed:1. Creation of tourist gambling zones in Antalya and Northern Cyprus;
2. Development of a national license for online gambling with taxes and AML control;
3. Development of a state platform for legal online games under the Milli Şans brand;
4. Driving investment in esports and fantasy leagues.
However, broad legalization is still unlikely - religious and political factors remain a key deterrent.
Turkey is a land of contrasts: gambling is officially banned, but in fact the market is thriving in the digital shadow.
The state maintains a monopoly on lotteries and sports betting,
while offshore casinos and crypto platforms became part of the informal economy.
between religious prohibition and economic gain,
between state monopoly and digital freedom.
If in the future the authorities decide to partially legalize iGaming, the country could turn into a new regulated center for online gambling in the Eastern Mediterranean.
In the meantime, Turkey remains an example of how the "forbidden excitement" continues to live contrary to the prohibitions.
