Gambling regulation in Turkey and Israel

Turkey: Secular law with an Islamic backdrop

Legal framework

The basis of the regulation is Law No. 7258 "On the Regulation of Football and Other Sports Betting" (2007) and Law No. 320 (Milli Piyango) on the state lottery.

All types of gambling, except government betting and the lottery, are prohibited.

• Milli Piyango (national lottery), IDDAA - state sports betting platform, Süper Toto - state betting.

Online gambling and blocking

Online casinos and private bookmakers are banned; The Bank of Turkey and BTK (Internet regulator) are actively blocking sites and payments.

The laws of 2013-2017 introduced fines not only for operators, but also for players - from administrative sanctions to blocking bank accounts.

All international platforms offering services without a Turkish license are included in the BTK blocking register.

Why Turkey won't legalize

1. Religious context: Islam forbids gambling (maysir).

2. Financial control: the state sees gambling as a channel for capital leakage and money laundering.

3. Political stance: The party in power (AKP) uses anti-gambling rhetoric as an element of social policy.

Practice

Police regularly conduct raids against "gray" online operators.

The banking system and fintech companies are required to filter MCC codes related to gambling transactions.

Large fines and criminal liability are provided for advertising illegal casinos and affiliate links.

Conclusion on Turkey: only the state can conduct lotteries and sports bets. Casinos and online gambling are completely illegal; both players and organizers are punishable.

Israel: a morally regulated ban

Legal framework

Based on Criminal Law Ordinance (1944), which prohibits "chance games" and "lotteries without state permission."

• Mifal Hapayis - National Lottery;
• Israel Sports Betting Board (ISBB) is a state sports betting board known for the Toto brand.

Online Games

Online casinos, poker, bingo, private betting and sweepstakes are prohibited.

In 2017, the Israeli Supreme Court upheld the legality of blocking Internet resources related to gambling and expanded the powers of the police at the cyber level.

Control and compliance

Mifal Hapayis and ISBB are required to contribute a portion of profits to health, sports and education.

All their products are audited by the Ministry of Finance and are subject to strict restrictions on advertising and age of participants.

Gambling advertising outside government programs is prohibited; influencers and media are responsible for promoting offshore platforms.

Reasons for a tough approach

1. Social: the state seeks to minimize damage to vulnerable groups.

2. Political: legalization is perceived as a contradiction to social values.

3. Economic: transparent state monopoly avoids offshore schemes and increases budget revenues from permitted games.

Jurisprudence

Court cases show a constant distinction between lottery and game of skill, but unlike India, Israel does not recognize online skill games as legal.

Conclusion on Israel: only two government agencies are allowed - Mifal Hapayis and Sports Toto. Online gambling, private casinos and poker rooms are completely prohibited.

Comparison table

Practical implications

For operators: both countries are "closed" jurisdictions. There are no licenses for private online or offline casinos.

For players: participation in offshore platforms is a violation of the law, which can lead to account blocking, banking operations or even a criminal case.

For business: safe directions - B2B in the field of compliance, anti-fraud, responsible play and technologies for state lotteries.

Turkey and Israel follow parallel, but not the same paths: Turkey relies on religious and financial prohibition and centralized control, Israel - on moral and social argumentation while maintaining minimal state monopolism. In both cases, gambling remains severely limited: any private online casinos, bookmakers and poker services are outlawed. For the industry, this means that the only acceptable format is cooperation with government operators and the development of technologies related to transparency, responsibility and safety.