Illegal Betting Penalties Set to Rise in Turkey

Turkey is preparing to tighten its response to illegal betting, unlicensed games of chance and online gambling, which authorities say have spread rapidly through digital platforms and are increasingly linked to social harm. The Justice Ministry’s planned measures combine tougher sanctions with steps designed to make it harder for illegal networks to operate—especially by disrupting the money flows that keep them running.

Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç says the government’s approach is being shaped by a whole-of-state strategy. He pointed to a presidential circular dated 31 October 2025, signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, as the basis for a more coordinated push against illegal betting and online gambling. According to Tunç, an action plan prepared under this framework focuses on detecting crimes at the source, enabling rapid intervention, cutting off both financial and digital infrastructure, blocking criminal proceeds and protecting citizens.

Tunç: “We Will Cut The Financial And Digital Infrastructure”

In a detailed statement shared on social media, Tunç described illegal betting and online gambling as a threat that “targets young people,” undermines family life and poses broader risks to public order. He said the new plan strengthens legal and administrative capacity, improves enforcement and sanctions, and increases coordination among institutions, with responsibilities clearly assigned across public bodies.

Tunç also said the ministry is advancing concrete steps to prevent crimes committed through digital systems, including changes related to mobile phone lines—measures he said are also intended to strengthen the fight against fraud.

Key Measures In The 11th Judicial Package

Tunç highlighted provisions adopted by the Turkish Parliament’s Justice Commission as part of the 11th Judicial Package, describing them as tools to speed up investigations and stop criminals from moving money out of reach. The package includes the ability to freeze suspicious banking and financial accounts for up to 48 hours in crimes committed via information systems. It also enables authorities to seize suspected criminal benefits immediately—without waiting for the expert report requirement referenced in Article 128 of Turkey’s Criminal Procedure Code in these cases. If seized funds are later confirmed to belong to victims, Tunç said they can be returned directly to the rightful owner.

To prevent delays in investigations, Tunç said banks and financial institutions would face a new obligation: when prosecutors, judges or courts request documents and information, institutions must respond within 10 days.

Stricter Identity Checks For Payment Accounts And SIM Cards

Another focus is preventing the use of “borrowed” or disguised accounts—often a core element of illegal betting and fraud operations. Tunç said electronic payment institutions would not be allowed to open accounts without biometric verification or a chip-enabled national ID, a move intended to make it harder to create anonymous or proxy payment channels.

He also outlined planned controls for GSM lines. Under the proposals, new mobile subscriptions would be allowed only through electronic identity verification. Turkey’s telecom regulator (BTK) would gain authority to limit how many lines can be registered to one person. Lines linked to deceased individuals or entities that have ceased to exist would be shut down through periodic checks, and a separate numbering approach would apply for foreign nationals.

Penalties To Be Reworked And Increased

Beyond technical and financial controls, Tunç said the Justice Ministry has launched legislative work to revisit penalties across several legal frameworks. This includes provisions in the Turkish Penal Code related to gambling offenses, special rules governing illegal betting and games of chance, and administrative sanctions under the Misdemeanors Law. Tunç added that penalties would be increased further for illegal betting and gambling offenses carried out in an organized manner or specifically targeting children.

Yasa dışı bahis, şans oyunları ve sanal kumar; özellikle dijital mecralarda yaygınlaşarak aile bütünlüğünü zedeleyen, gençlerimizi hedef alan ve kamu düzeni açısından risk oluşturan bir tehdit alanına dönüşmektedir.

📌 Cumhurbaşkanımız Sayın Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’ın imzasıyla…

— Yılmaz TUNÇ (@yilmaztunc) December 13, 2025

Will Tougher Bans Solve The Problem?

Experts broadly agree that higher penalties and tougher enforcement can have a deterrent effect—especially in the short term. But research on illicit markets also points to a recurring pattern: as pressure increases, illegal operators often adapt rather than disappear. That adaptation can take many forms—switching domains and hosting, shifting to closed messaging communities, relying more heavily on intermediaries, or experimenting with alternative payment routes. In other words, crackdowns can shrink and disrupt illegal activity, yet also push it into less visible channels if demand remains.

This is why many analysts argue that the most durable impact comes not from penalties alone, but from making the business model harder to sustain. Measures that disrupt money transfers, reduce the availability of anonymous accounts and speed up asset freezing and seizure can raise the operational cost and risk for illegal networks. At the same time, some warn that as smaller operators are squeezed out, more organized and sophisticated groups may be better positioned to survive—meaning success should be measured not only by the number of blocked sites or opened investigations, but by whether overall volume and access are actually reduced.

Another strand of the debate focuses on market structure. Some specialists contend that when betting demand does not vanish, pushing all activity into the shadows can be counterproductive; they argue that maintaining a tightly supervised, traceable and rule-based legal environment can reduce the appeal of illegal options. Others counter that a legal market is not a cure-all either: overly restrictive rules, heavy taxation or limited consumer choices can weaken the legal space and drive users back toward unlicensed alternatives. The balance, they say, lies in combining effective sanctions and enforcement with strong financial monitoring and a sustainable regulatory framework.