Turkey’s gambling-related tax revenues have surged to 50.2 billion lira (US$1.18 billion) during the first eleven months of 2025. It has already surpassed the full-year total recorded in 2024. The increase highlights both rising betting demand and intensified state efforts to curb illegal gambling activity operating alongside the regulated system in Turkey.
Tax Policy Changes Drive Revenue Growth
The sharp rise reflects a series of regulatory and fiscal adjustments introduced after Turkey’s 2023 general election. The government doubled tax rates on sports betting, horse racing, and alternative games of chance. Consequently, the sector’s contribution to public finances in Turkey increased significantly. Although limited year-end reductions followed later in 2023, revenue growth has continued to outpace statutory tax changes. This growth points to expanding wagering volumes.
The scale of the shift becomes clearer in historical context. In 2020, gambling tax revenues stood at just 3.46 billion lira. Reaching 50.2 billion lira within five years represents more than a fourteen-fold increase. Such a leap marks one of the fastest expansions seen in Turkey’s regulated gaming sector.
Digital Transformation Reshapes the Market
A key structural change occurred in 2020, when operation of the National Lottery was transferred to Sisal Şans, a joint venture in Turkey between Demirören Group and Italian operator Sisal. This transition accelerated the sector’s move away from traditional weekly lottery draws toward always-on digital platforms.
The shift fundamentally altered player behavior. Gambling activity increasingly moved online, replacing occasional participation with continuous engagement through mobile and web-based betting products. As a result, tax intake became more consistent and scalable, contributing to the sustained revenue growth seen in recent years in Turkey.
Illegal Gambling Expands Alongside the Legal Market
Despite the expansion of regulated betting, authorities report that illegal gambling activity has grown in parallel, requiring extensive enforcement action in Turkey. According to the Interior Ministry, 1,120 operations targeting illegal gambling and betting networks were carried out between January 1, 2024, and October 6, 2025. These actions led to the seizure of cash and assets worth 15.847 billion lira, or approximately US$373 million.
Online enforcement has also intensified. During the first eleven months of 2025, access was blocked to more than 31,000 illegal betting websites in Turkey. Additionally, numerous associated pages and platforms were affected. Thousands of suspects were detained as part of investigations into unlicensed betting operations.
Focus Shifts to Payments and Financial Channels
Recent investigations have increasingly targeted the financial infrastructure supporting illegal betting. On November 18, prosecutors placed payment platform IQ Money under the control of the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund in Turkey. They did so after determining that its transaction volumes were inconsistent with legitimate commercial activity.
Further court proceedings on November 22 resulted in the arrest of 32 suspects. Among them were four football referees. This action was in a case involving money laundering through cryptocurrency wallets and informal cross-border transfer networks. On December 5, an Istanbul court froze the assets of PayCo, an electronic payment company, in a separate illegal betting probe in Turkey.
Enforcement efforts escalated again on December 16, when authorities targeted Gain Medya. Three executives were detained. Additionally, trustees were appointed to seven affiliated companies amid allegations of illegal betting activity and organized crime involvement.
Public Health Data Highlights Ongoing Risks
Officials estimate that the volume of illegal gambling may rival, or even exceed, that of the legal market in Turkey. A 2025 study conducted across 26 provinces involved more than 36,000 participants. It was coordinated by a Turkish anti-addiction NGO with the Ministry of Health. The study found that 6.6 percent of individuals who gambled in the previous 30 days had used illegal online betting platforms.
The findings suggest that, despite the rapid growth of the regulated market and rising tax revenues in Turkey, a significant portion of gambling activity continues to take place outside official channels. This gap highlights the challenge authorities face in aligning enforcement intensity with market expansion. It also points to the difficulty in steering players away from unregulated betting environments.
