Key Moments:
- The Milli Piyango İdaresi (MPİ) has submitted about 420,000 criminal complaints against unauthorized gambling sites to MASAK.
- Turkish authorities have blocked 10,519 international gaming servers and 1,473 advertising sites since May.
- Financial intelligence units have tracked illicit gambling flows totaling Turkish lira 2.2 billion in 2024 and Turkish lira 3.6 billion so far in 2025.
National Lottery Steps Up in Major Enforcement Push
Turkey’s national lottery office, the Milli Piyango İdaresi (MPİ), has become a central player in Ankara’s expanded offensive against illegal gambling. The agency’s chairman and general manager, Ekrem Candan, recently provided the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) with a dossier comprising approximately 420,000 criminal complaints against unlicensed gambling websites. MPİ’s records indicate that 239,000 domains have violated Turkish gambling regulations. Candan described illegal gambling as a “borderless threat” impacting the country’s youth, economy, and social cohesion.
A Coordinated Government Approach
This move aligns with a sweeping government initiative spearheaded by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan under the 2025–2026 Action Plan, focusing on the elimination of illegal betting and gambling in virtual spaces. The presidential directive, issued on 1 November, calls for comprehensive efforts coordinated by MASAK and places joint accountability on ministries, financial institutions, and communication agencies.
Scale of Enforcement Activity
According to MASAK’s investigations, many illegal gambling servers operate from foreign jurisdictions, including Malta, North Macedonia, and Georgia. Turkish authorities have issued stern warnings of “aggressive measures” against states and platforms that provide access to gambling services targeting Turkish users. The government has identified this as an issue of national sovereignty and economic stability.
Since May, officials have blocked 10,519 international gaming servers and 1,473 advertising websites. Investigators tracked illegal gambling transactions totaling Turkish lira 2.2 billion (€66 million) in 2024 and an additional Turkish lira 3.6 billion (€100 million) in 2025 to date, underscoring the vast scale of the underground industry.
| Year | Illicit Flows (Turkish lira) | Illicit Flows (€) |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2.2 billion | 66 million |
| 2025 (to date) | 3.6 billion | 100 million |
Multi-Agency Enforcement Actions
The crackdown involves several government bodies. The Interior Ministry directs cybercrime units, while the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) takes responsibility for blocking illegal websites, apps, and digital channels. The Treasury and Finance Ministry has increased anti-money-laundering and payment surveillance, while the Justice Ministry has been assigned to prioritize legal action against betting-related crimes. The Directorate of Communications is assigned to monitor influencer and social media advertising related to gambling promotions.
MASAK has cautioned that the combination of social media, digital payments, and crypto-assets has both expanded access to illegal gambling and made detection more difficult. The agency highlighted the necessity for ongoing innovation in investigative techniques and legal measures in response to technology-enabled operators.
Ongoing Battle Against Illegal Gambling
President Erdoğan has characterized the effort as essential for both social stability and national security, stressing the need to significantly curb illegal gambling by 2026. In this context, MPİ’s filing of over 420,000 complaints against unauthorized gambling sites represents a record-setting action for the country.
This intensive campaign, regarded by observers as among the largest in Turkey, utilizes a combination of financial intelligence, digital scrutiny, and joint inter-ministerial collaboration. According to Yeşilay (Green Crescent), a public-health NGO, gambling-related addiction among persons under 18 now constitutes 28 percent of all addiction consultations nationwide.
Although hundreds of unauthorized betting and crypto-casino sites have been closed down, new ones continually emerge under alternate domains and platforms. The ongoing challenge for the Turkish government will be sustaining enforcement measures and improving cross-border cooperation to keep pace with this rapidly-evolving sector.
- Author
Daniel Williams
