Turkey is expanding its financial and digital controls against illegal gambling as betting demand continues rising across the country, reinforcing a strategy focused on redirecting players toward state-regulated gaming channels and cutting offshore operators from the local payment ecosystem.
Market intelligence data released in May 2026 shows Turkish interest in betting brands climbed from 55.07 million interactions in August 2025 to 93.26 million in April 2026, peaking at 96.23 million in January, highlighting the growing scale of online betting demand despite ongoing enforcement measures.
The regulated sector remains controlled by the Milli Piyango İdaresi, operating under the Ministry of Treasury and Finance of Turkey led by Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek. The authority, chaired by Ekrem Candan, blocked approximately 233,000 illegal gambling websites during 2024 as Ankara expanded digital monitoring and payment surveillance operations.
Turkey’s gambling framework is primarily governed by Law No. 7258 on the Regulation of Betting and Chance Games in Football and Other Sports Competitions, which authorizes regulated sports betting while criminalizing unauthorized gambling operations, advertising and intermediary services. Additional restrictions stem from Turkish Penal Code No. 5237 Article 228, which prohibits unauthorized casino activity, including online gambling services.
Ekrem Candan
Website blocking and digital restrictions are enforced through Law No. 5651, allowing the Information and Communication Technologies Authority to restrict access to offshore betting domains and illegal gambling-related digital content.
Authorities are also intensifying AML enforcement through MASAK, Turkey’s financial intelligence unit, targeting digital wallets, electronic payment processors, bank accounts and cryptocurrency channels allegedly linked to illegal betting networks.
The Turkish strategy now centers on strengthening legal ecosystems surrounding IDDAA, Spor Toto and Milli Piyango while increasing financial traceability, asset freezes and transaction monitoring to move betting activity back into licensed channels that generate tax revenue and operate under state supervision.
