Turkey Transfers Horse Racing Bets to 40-Day Firm

Turkey’s Turkish Jockey Club (TJK) has formally announced that the authority to accept bets on horse racing will be transferred to United Racing Şans Oyunları A.Ş. as of January 1, 2026. The company set to assume the nationwide betting operation was established approximately 40 days before the transfer decision, and is founded by former Turkish national basketball player Ömer Onan.

The transfer follows a decision taken by Turkey’s Wealth Fund Management (Türkiye Varlık Fonu Yönetimi A.Ş.), a state-owned body responsible for overseeing strategic public assets. Acting on this decision, TJK is handing over a betting acceptance function that it has carried out for decades to a newly formed private company.

TJK management informed employees of the process through a formal internal staff notice, stating that the employment rights of personnel affected by the transfer would be fully preserved.

Official Notification Sent to TJK Employees

In the notice circulated to staff, the Turkish Jockey Club stated that the right and authority to accept bets on horse racing would be transferred to United Racing Şans Oyunları A.Ş. pursuant to a decision by Turkey’s Wealth Fund Management.

The document specifies that the transfer will enter into force on January 1, 2026, and that operational units directly or indirectly connected to pool betting activities will be transferred to the new company.

It further states that employees working in these units will continue their employment under United Racing Şans Oyunları A.Ş., with existing employment terms maintained.

TURKISH JOCKEY CLUB
STAFF INFORMATION NOTICE

Dear Colleague,

A decision has been taken by Turkey’s Wealth Fund Management Inc. to transfer the right and authority to accept bets on horse racing, currently carried out by our Club, to United Racing Şans Oyunları A.Ş.

Accordingly, the units directly or indirectly connected to the Pool Betting activities carried out by our Club will be transferred to United Racing Şans Oyunları A.Ş., which will assume these activities. In this context, the employment contracts of personnel working in these units will be transferred to the acquiring company, and the personnel will be employed by United Racing Şans Oyunları A.Ş.

Within this framework;

Your existing employment contract, your start date at the Turkish Jockey Club, length of service, salary, and all employment and personal rights will be preserved, and in accordance with Article 6 of Labour Law No. 4857, your contract will be transferred to United Racing Şans Oyunları A.Ş. as of January 1, 2026.

In order to ensure that no loss of rights occurs during the transfer process, our Club will transfer all personnel records to the acquiring company in a lawful manner and in compliance with the Personal Data Protection Law.

We thank you for the effort, service and contributions you have provided to our Club to date, and wish you success in your future professional life.

December 30, 2025

Sincerely,

When Was United Racing Şans Oyunları A.Ş. Established?

United Racing Şans Oyunları A.Ş. was established on November 20, 2025, with a reported paid-in capital of TRY 1 million. The company’s founder is Ömer Onan, a former professional basketball player who represented Turkey’s national team during his playing career.

Onan played for several leading clubs in Turkey’s top basketball league, including Efes Pilsen (now Anadolu Efes) and Fenerbahçe, before moving into sports administration roles following his retirement from professional sport.

With the betting authority scheduled to be transferred on January 1, 2026, the timeline indicates that the company was formed roughly 40 days before it is set to take over horse racing bet acceptance operations nationwide.

Once the transfer is completed, United Racing Şans Oyunları A.Ş. is expected to operate horse racing betting acceptance activities across Turkey.

Who Previously Held Horse Racing Media Rights?

Before the latest decision, the Turkish Jockey Club had already transferred certain commercial rights related to horse racing. In an earlier move, TJK granted 10-year web and mobile broadcasting rights for horse races to a joint venture formed by Hipodrom Şans Oyunları and Platform Şans Oyunları.

The deal covered the digital distribution of horse racing content and marked a shift toward private-sector involvement in the media side of Turkey’s horse racing ecosystem.

Ömer Onan currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Platform Şans Oyunları A.Ş., linking his name both to the earlier digital broadcasting rights arrangement and to the newly announced transfer of horse racing betting authority to United Racing Şans Oyunları A.Ş.

First Post-Transfer Move: Dealer Commissions Cut

Investigative journalist Murat Ağırel reported that one of the first concrete steps taken after the transfer of horse racing betting authority to United Racing Şans Oyunları A.Ş. was a reduction in commission rates paid to betting dealers.

According to Ağırel, a written notice issued by the Turkish Jockey Club on March 4, 2025 had previously increased the commission rate for online betting dealers to 4.5%. However, following the transfer of betting operations to the private company, this rate was reduced to 2.5%.

At the same time, the commission paid to physical betting outlets was also lowered, from 6% to 5%.

The changes indicate a decline in revenue shares received by both online and fixed-location dealers operating within Turkey’s horse racing betting system. Implemented shortly after the transfer of authority, the adjustment represents the first measurable economic impact of the new operational structure introduced under private management.