The Turkish government is planning to launch a crackdown on illegal gambling, local media has reported. Under a two-year plan, different government agencies will cooperate to tackle issues related to the unauthorized provision of gambling services of different kinds, including ones offered via the Internet.
The scheme will be developed by Turkey’s Interior and Justice Ministries. They will also coordinate efforts with the country’s Revenues and Police Departments. Their purpose will be to penalize all organizers and facilitators of illegal gambling services.
The anti-illegal gambling campaign will be launched with the creation of a special unit that will be comprised of members of different government-run agencies. Their combined efforts will be expected to attack illegal gambling services at different regulatory levels. The team of officials will be headed by a specially appointed prosecutor.
Anyone organizing unauthorized gambling activities and profiting from that will be required to forfeit what they have earned, under the planned crackdown. In addition, properties used for the provision of illegal gambling services will be seized by the relevant government agencies.
In terms of online gambling, Internet cafés, found to have been allowing customers access to gaming and betting websites, will be subjected to heavy fines. Any Turkish citizens reaching such websites will be texted warnings by the country’s Information and Communication Technologies Authority.
As for the above-mentioned Internet cafés, lawmakers will look to close legislative loopholes that will prevent them from being reopened. At present, such facilities are able to circumvent existing regulations and to reopen their doors for visitors, despite having been closed multiple times.
The crackdown will also encompass illegal gambling advertising. Websites that feature gambling promotional materials will be closed by watchdogs. What is more, advertisements that in any way encourage illegal gambling or contribute to the proliferation of illegal gambling activities in one way or another will be banned.
To prevent such activities from taking place within the country’s borders, Turkish watchdogs will also monitor search engines and will warn people who are involuntarily referred to illegal gambling websites.
Turkey’s Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency will have to tackle the use of credit cards and bank transactions for gambling-related activities. That same regulator will also be charged with the responsibility to monitor for the potential use of cryptocurrencies for the movement of gaming- and betting-related proceeds.
Illegal gambling in Turkey constitutes all types of activities different from a state-run lottery and a sports betting operation, with this one, too, being run by the state. In other words, owners of non-state-operated gambling entities will be subjected to punitive measures.
