The Milli Piyango İdaresi (MPİ), Turkey’s national lottery office, has officially joined the government’s nationwide initiative against unlicensed betting platforms. MPİ Chairman Ekrem Candan announced the submission of 420,000 criminal complaints to the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) targeting over 239,000 illegal domains.
This development is part of the 2025–2026 Action Plan introduced by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to combat unlawful gambling in virtual spaces. The plan mandates inter-ministerial cooperation, involving the Treasury, Interior, Justice, and Communications ministries in a coordinated effort led by MASAK.
Authorities have already blocked over 10,000 foreign-hosted servers and 1,473 advertising sites, exposing illicit transactions worth ₺5.8 billion across 2024–2025. The crackdown extends beyond blocking access it includes enhanced payment monitoring, anti-money-laundering protocols, and prosecution of operators behind illegal gaming sites.
Officials warn that the fusion of social media, crypto-assets, and digital payments has made illegal gambling increasingly accessible and difficult to detect. The government’s long-term goal is to curb online gambling activities by 2026 and reinforce national security through financial transparency and cross-border cooperation.
This marks one of Turkey’s most comprehensive gambling enforcement campaigns, with the MPİ’s participation highlighting the state’s renewed determination to restore order in the digital betting space.
