Online Gambling Laws in Turkey

Due to the country's predominantly Islamic population, Turkey's gambling laws are very strict, with most forms of gambling deemed illegal. That said, there are a few exceptions to the blanket bans. Read on to find out more about Turkey gambling regulations.

Gambling Regulation by Casino Type

Article 228 of the Turkish Criminal Code and the Law Regarding Roulette, Pinball and Gaming Machines mean that all forms of land-based gambling are illegal in Turkey. In contrast, the 2006 Regulation on Online Gaming means most forms of online gambling are also illegal in the country. However, there are a couple of notable exceptions. Let's take a closer look at how these laws apply to the various gambling activities in Turkey.

Casino Games

All forms of land-based casino gambling are illegal in Turkey, with a widespread ban implemented in 1998. As such, there are no casinos, slots halls or any other casino game venues operating in the country. Casino gambling paraphernalia such as roulette wheels, tables and pinball machines are also banned. Before the ban, the casino gaming industry was thriving and was a source of employment for some 20,000 residents. 

Once the ban took effect, some activities continued illicitly, but raids in 2016 ended much of that. Some operators moved their businesses to the Turkish part of Cyprus, which has more lenient laws on gambling.

Online casino gambling is also illegal in Turkey and has been since 2007. When the ban on land-based casino gambling came into effect, some organisations moved their operations online as the country didn't yet regulate online gambling activities. However, the government quickly caught up, outlawing online gambling in the country with a few minor exceptions. 

Residents of Turkey looking to play online casino slots and other online casino games are largely out of luck due to the country's strict laws, which include punishment of players with fines of up to around €250,000. Turkey's internet service providers banned most of the larger offshore online casinos, and banks are instructed to block transactions to such sites.

Poker

Land-based poker is illegal in Turkey and has been since 1998. No poker clubs are operating in the country since the ban closed all poker venues. Similarly, online poker is illegal in Turkey and has been since the law was amended in 2007. Turkish ISPs block most online poker sites, and residents can be prosecuted for playing at them.

Bingo

In many countries, bingo is a form of lottery and generally falls under that region's laws on lottery gambling, i.e. being legal, albeit under monopoly control. However, Turkey has a zero-tolerance policy on bingo games, making the activity illegal. Even bingo games for charitable purposes are not permitted. This applies to both offline games of bingo and online bingo gambling. Bingo gambling sites are blocked in the country, and players can face steep fines.

Lotteries

Lottery gambling is legal in Turkey, with the state-owned regulator Turkey Wealth Fund maintaining ownership of the country's national lottery (Milli Piyango) via monopoly company ERG Ahlatci. The lottery was bought in a privatization process, but the successful company still falls under state control. Turks can bet on the national lottery and purchase instant games via the many outlets nationwide.

Online lottery gambling is legal, but only via the Milli Piyango website. Other lottery websites are blocked in the country, and residents can be fined for playing online lottery games for real money at such sites.

Social Gambling and Crypto Casinos

There is no mention of lootboxes or skins gambling in Turkey's existing gambling laws. However, social casinos, that is, sites allowing members to play casino games using play chips, could be classed as illegal in Turkey depending on the interpretation of the law, particularly regarding the definition of 'games of chance' and the ban on gambling machines.

Although cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin are legal in Turkey, the banking industry does not support their use. As such, none of the legal gambling operators in the country accept cryptocurrencies. Some offshore crypto casinos accept players from Turkey.

Turkey Sports Betting Laws

Online sports betting has been legal in Turkey since 1983, when state-run horse racing betting was legalized. Such betting activities are only permitted via monopoly companies IDDAA (Turkish Sports Toto) for sports betting and the Türkiye Jokey Kulübü (Turkey Jockey Club) for horse racing betting. Both companies have an online presence and are the only operators permitted to offer online sports betting in Turkey. Many other sports betting sites are blocked in the country, with players facing prosecution for using them.

Gambling Age Restriction

Turks must be at least 18 to participate in any of the country's legal gambling activities.

Tax Regulation

Turkey's gambling tax regulation is set by law and consists of 3 tax rates based on the type of gambling activity offered. The country's sports betting operator is liable to pay 5% of gross gambling revenue; the horse racing betting operator is charged a 7% tax, and legal games of chance offered by the country's lottery company attract a 10% tax. This is on top of 25% corporation tax and VAT of 18%.

For players, winnings from domestic offline and online lottery games are tax-free. Income tax of 15% to 35% is charged on all other winnings. Taxes are also charged on non-cash winnings.

History of Gambling Laws in Turkey

The first form of gambling to be legalized in Turkey was horse racing betting in 1983, although there are claims some casinos operated as far back as the 1960s. Casinos were officially legalized in 1990, and numerous casinos and resorts were constructed in the following years. However, due to rampant money laundering and other criminal activities, including the assassination of the so-called casino king Ömer Lütfü Topal, casinos were banned in 1996. It took until 1998 for all casino operations to be shut down in the country.

From 2000, many land-based operators affected by the ban moved online because of the lack of regulation regarding online gambling. This was remedied in 2007 with the enactment of the 2006 Regulation on Online Gaming, which made online gambling illegal.

In 2013, unlicensed operators faced even stricter regulations, with the government requiring internet service providers to block such sites and banking and financial institutions to block transactions with them.

Key Facts

Turkey's gambling laws are quite strict due to the influence of Islam. Here's a look at the key points regarding gambling in Turkey.

• Both land-based and online casino gambling, including live casino sites, are illegal in Turkey.
• Land-based and online poker are both illegal.
• Offline and online bingo are both illegal in Turkey.
• Lottery gambling is legal in Turkey, but only via monopoly company ERG Ahlatci.
• Sports betting is legal in Turkey, but only via monopoly companies IDDAA and Türkiye Jokey Kulübü for horse racing betting.