Prison sentence preparation for illegal gamblers! To be classified as a 'crime' instead of a 'misdemeanor'

In the scope of the fight against illegal betting, the increasing number of access blocking decisions and preparations for new legal regulations have drawn attention. According to Türkiye Gazetesi, the government has put the expansion of the scope of sanctions for both those who facilitate betting and those who participate in it on the agenda.

While current data reveals the scale of illegal betting activities, efforts to amend existing regulations are ongoing. A new framework is being prepared, particularly regarding the legal status of users.

INCREASE IN ACCESS BLOCKS

Between 2006 and 2026, a total of 585 thousand 645 illegal betting sites were identified. Access to more than 555 thousand of these sites has been blocked.

According to the data, more than 500 thousand of the closed sites were identified within the last three years. However, it is stated that illegal entities are quickly becoming accessible again through different domain names and "mirroring" methods.

NEW REGULATION IN SANCTIONS

Under current legislation, those who facilitate illegal betting face prison sentences, while those who participate are subject to administrative fines. In this context, individuals who engage in illegal betting can face fines ranging from 100 thousand to 400 thousand TL.

With the regulation currently under preparation, it is planned to remove the act of participating in illegal betting from the category of "misdemeanor" and include it under the scope of "crime." Thus, the path could be opened for the implementation of prison sentences for users as well.

ECONOMIC DIMENSION

The annual volume of illegal betting activities is estimated to be around 40 billion dollars. It is stated that a large portion of this amount is unregistered, and financial movements mostly take place through systems connected abroad and crypto assets.

News Source: 12punto