Gang-run illegal betting rakes in millions of dollars in Türkiye

ISTANBUL

With illicit betting and online gambling increasingly emerging as new revenue streams for organized crime syndicates, approximately 10 million people in Türkiye have succumbed to these entrapments, resulting in millions of liras lost to the economy, according to local media.

Criminal organizations, opting for more accessible illicit means of income compared to drug trafficking or human smuggling, have recently established enterprises under the guise of entrepreneurship to launder the proceeds of their illegal activities.

These entrepreneurial ventures ostensibly operate legitimate companies, yet they covertly funnel traffic to unlawful betting and gambling websites through extensive online advertising campaigns.

Even, Türkiye’s most recognized e-commerce websites are directing traffic to these illicit betting platforms, according to several media reports.

Through this nefarious strategy, crime syndicates reportedly generate daily revenues exceeding 10 million Turkish Liras ($293,000), daily Hürriyet said.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the global illegal betting market has reached a staggering $1.8 trillion.

In Türkiye, this figure is estimated to surpass 100 billion liras (approximately $2.9 billion).

While Türkiye’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) and police’s cyber crime unit are conducting operations to combat these offenses and are imposing access restrictions on illicit gambling sites, technological advancements enable the swift emergence of new gambling platforms even as existing ones are shut down.

Journalist Ayhan Şensoy, who has authored a book on this subject, articulated that illegal betting and gambling inflict substantial harm on the national economy, societal structures and individual psychology.

He estimated the economic toll of illegal gambling in Türkiye at around 300 billion liras. ($8.7 billion).

Beyond the National Lottery administration, there are five prominent companies legally authorized to operate betting in Türkiye. These entities generate revenue primarily through sports events and instant-win games.