Date: 27.01.2025

by Tomasz Jagodziński

Turkey Increases Crackdown on Illegal Online Gambling in 2024

The Turkish government has stepped up its campaign against illegal online gambling, shutting down a record-breaking 233,000 unauthorized gambling websites in 2024.

Important Year-on-Year Growth in Enforcement

The closure of 233,000 websites reflects a nearly 39% increase compared to the 168,000 illegal sites blocked in 2023. This upward trend has been consistent over the years, with an estimated 150,000 sites blocked in 2022 and 140,000 in 2021. The growing scope of online gambling activities underscores the Turkish government’s commitment to tackling illicit operations that undermine the integrity of its legal framework.

This initiative, led by the National Lottery Administration under the Treasury and Finance Ministry, is part of a broader strategy to protect the country’s regulated gambling sector and shield citizens from potential exploitation by unlicensed operators.

Global Nature of Illegal Gambling Operations

Investigations revealed that these illicit websites originated from 95 countries, demonstrating the global reach of the online gambling industry and the complexities of regulating cross-border activities.

The United States was identified as the leading source of illegal gambling platforms targeting Turkish users, accounting for 56% of the blocked sites. Other major contributors included Armenia (17%) and the Netherlands (6%), with the remaining 21% spread across other nations.