Illegal betting regulation on the way: Sanctions to be increased

Following the instructions of President and AKP Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, preparations have begun for a comprehensive legal regulation targeting illegal betting games in Turkey.

With the regulations expected to be implemented in the new year, amendments will be made to the Turkish Penal Code and the Misdemeanors Law, with the goal of increasing penalties.

According to the report in Ekonomim, special provisions regarding illegal betting and games of chance will be reviewed. In this context, steps will be taken to cut off financial and digital infrastructures, prevent proceeds of crime, and protect citizens.

Furthermore, the aim will be to make existing inspection and sanction mechanisms more effective.

The new regulation envisions harsher penalties for criminals who operate in an organized manner and target children and young people in illegal betting and gambling crimes.

In this regard, the responsibilities of public institutions will be re-evaluated, and inter-institutional coordination will be increased. The goal is to prevent such crimes more quickly and effectively.

Inspection mechanisms will be strengthened to prevent the spread of illegal betting games. The fight against illegal betting sites will be made more effective, and financial audits will be increased.

The aim is to dry up the income that criminal organizations derive from these prohibited activities. Judicial and administrative regulations will also be made to combat proceeds of crime.

Penalty applications for crimes related to illegal betting and games of chance will be re-evaluated. Audits conducted by MASAK (Financial Crimes Investigation Board) will be made more effective. Penalties for those who operate unlicensed games, those who provide space for them, those who provide internet access to games abroad, and those who mediate such activities will be reviewed. In this context, prison sentences and administrative fines will be increased, and sanctions will be made more deterrent.

The new legal amendments will contribute to a reduction in illegal betting and gambling crimes across the country, the destruction of the financial resources of criminal organizations, and the effectiveness of the fight against digital crimes.