Minister Şimşek announces: Criminal complaint filed against 1,212 websites!

Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Şimşek made an assessment to an AA reporter regarding the efforts being carried out to combat illegal betting and gambling sites.

Emphasizing that his ministry is determined to continue its fight against illegal games of chance, betting, and virtual gambling sites in order to prevent tax losses and evasion in the gaming sector and to block unlicensed activities that constitute crimes, Şimşek stated that it is a crime to operate or facilitate the operation of any kind of lottery, game of chance, mutual betting, or similar games without authorization or permission from the relevant institutions.

Şimşek pointed out that providing access to games operated abroad, enabling them to be played from Turkey, and acting as an intermediary for money transfers for this purpose also fall under the scope of criminal activity.

CLOSED SITES REOPEN

Stating that the National Lottery Administration monitors unlicensed activities conducted in the virtual environment, takes necessary administrative measures against them, and notifies the competent authorities, Şimşek said, "In this context, access blocking measures were implemented for 227,630 sites identified as operating without permission and offering illegal games of chance, betting, or gambling in the virtual environment between 2016 and 2023. However, it has been observed that the individuals and organized crime groups operating these websites, the vast majority of which broadcast from abroad, reactivate them by adding letters, numbers, digits, or symbols to the beginning, end, or any part of the existing address of the sites that have been subject to measures, and continue their criminal activities with new names and URL addresses after a very short time."

Şimşek stated that because the individuals and organizations that set up and operate these sites, mediate money transfers, and carry out other criminal acts and transactions often cannot be identified, the sites that are blocked continue their illegal activities with a new address each time, adding that they have received numerous reports and complaints on this matter through the Presidential Communication Center (CİMER) and the tip line.

CAUSES TAX EVASION

Emphasizing that they are determined to take all necessary measures to identify and punish the individuals and organizations that set up and operate illegal betting and gambling sites that operate without a license in the country, violate laws, and cause multi-faceted damage to public finances by leading to tax loss and evasion, and to prevent these activities, Şimşek said, "In this direction, a criminal complaint has been filed by the National Lottery Administration with the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding 1,212 websites that continued to operate under different names despite being identified as offering gambling and betting in the virtual environment and having their access blocked after being reported to the Information and Communication Technologies Authority between 2016 and 2023."

Şimşek stated that when the countries where the websites subject to the criminal complaint broadcast from were examined, it was determined that all but 3 were based abroad, adding, "It is understood that 486 of these broadcast from the USA, 403 from Armenia, 156 from the Netherlands, 50 from Germany, 34 from Taiwan, and the others from 22 different countries."

"WE BELIEVE THEY WILL FACE JUSTICE"

Reporting that the criminal complaint was filed by the National Lottery Administration via the UYAP system to prevent the crime and punish the perpetrators, Şimşek noted the following:

"In the criminal complaint, we requested the initiation of a public lawsuit to punish the founders and officials of the 1,212 websites that violate the Turkish Penal Code, tax laws, and other legal norms by offering illegal games of chance, betting, and gambling in the virtual environment, as well as the suspects who mediate money transfers for these sites and participate in the crime. Thus, we aimed to identify the suspects who have been trying to continue their criminal activities through different internet addresses since 2016 and to prevent these activities. Our Ministry will closely monitor the judicial investigation to be opened, and our National Lottery Administration will intervene in the case. We believe that the judicial authorities will identify the suspect individuals and organizations during the investigation process with the help of law enforcement agencies and by using technological capabilities, and bring them to justice."

News Source: AA