Türkiye Links $40 Billion Illegal Betting Market to National Security

Türkiye has classified illegal betting as a national security concern as criminal groups increasingly use cryptocurrency, digital wallets and payment platforms to process gambling funds.

Good to Know

• Authorities estimate an annual cost of $40 billion.
• Türkiye blocked more than 84,000 illegal gambling websites in 2025.
• Legal online gambling remains limited to state controlled operators.

Türkiye Tracks Payments Behind Illegal Betting

Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi said illegal gambling now extends far beyond a public order offence.

“Illegal betting has long since transcended public order and has become a direct national security issue,” Çiftçi said during an interview with Habertürk.

He added: “The annual cost of illegal gambling to Türkiye is $40 billion. Gambling has moral and social dimensions. For every gambling amount, there is a young person’s ruined future. According to our beliefs, gambling is haram [forbidden].”

Türkiye permits online lottery products through the National Lottery Administration and sports betting through İddaa under the Spor Toto Organisation. Law No. 7258 criminalises running or supporting betting outside that system. Investigations can also include fraud and money laundering offences.

Çiftçi said illegal operators use shell ecommerce businesses, intermediary payment firms, cryptocurrencies and underground banking to hide financial flows.

“Criminal organisations are no longer robbing with knives or guns, but with algorithms and digital wallets, and we are responding in the same arena,” he said.

Police, intelligence services and financial investigators now share account data and technical findings. AI systems also flag unusual payment behaviour and online connections linked to suspected betting networks.

Türkiye blocked 548,420 illegal betting and gambling websites between 2006 and 2025. More than 84,000 were blocked during 2025, while authorities also disabled 12,548 servers and connection addresses. Officials sought restrictions against thousands of social media accounts promoting unlicensed platforms.

The government has also targeted influencers who advertise illegal betting. Çiftçi said the combined response covers organised crime, cybercrime and money laundering rather than website blocking alone.

“You cannot manage a threat you cannot see. Türkiye has now reached a capacity to see, analyse and respond to this threat,” he said.

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