The National Lottery Administration of Turkey (NPI) reported that in 2024, 233,000 illegal gambling and betting websites were shut down, a significant increase from the 168,030 sites blocked in 2023.
An analysis of the blocked sites revealed that they originated from 95 different countries, with 56% coming from the United States, 17% from Armenia, and 6% from the Netherlands.
The government also filed criminal lawsuits against 375,367 websites and 6,731 unique domain names through the office of the Chief Prosecutor in Ankara.
It is important to note that this crackdown not only involved the closure of websites but also unauthorized lottery and gambling activities, with 286 cases reported to the prosecutor in 2024.
Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek commented on this progress, saying: "We are determined to prevent unregistered economic activities and financial crimes, as these lead to tax losses and harm to citizens. We are taking various measures to prevent illegal betting, virtual gambling, and unauthorized lotteries, and we will continue to do so."
Turkey's efforts echo a broader regional trend, with neighboring countries like Bulgaria also taking similar actions against unlicensed gambling, with many illegal sites also being shut down in Bulgaria during 2024.
