🇹🇷For operators · Tax, marketing & compliance
Operating in Turkey: sports betting only, 5% tax
Turkey licenses no private operator: online betting and lotteries are State rights sold through Spor Toto's, Milli Piyango's and TJK's own channels and licensed dealers. Online casino and poker are banned, unlicensed sites are blocked, and players who use them are fined.
Games-of-chance tax5% / 7% / 10%Head-dealer guarantee3% / 6%Contract term10 yrs maxActive licensees13
Product by product
Turkey grants no private operator licence: only state bodies and their contractors may run gambling, and online dealers of Spor Toto must be joint-stock companies established under Law 6102.| Product | Status | Licensed by | Tax | Key restriction | Advertising |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sports betting | State monopoly | Spor Toto Teşkilat Başkanlığı; one tendered head dealer and online dealers with a licence ('sanal ortam bayilik ruhsatı') | 5% of revenue after VAT | Only joint-stock companies under Law 6102 may be online dealers; no one under 18. Outside the monopoly, offshore sportsbooks reach players on rotating mirror domains and redirect sites, funded through rented bank, e-money and crypto accounts; running them is a crime and the state blocks sites and acts against the accounts | Advertising unlicensed betting is a crime (1 to 3 years) |
| Horse racing | State monopoly | Turkey Wealth Fund (49-year licence from 1 January 2018), supervised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry | 7% of revenue after VAT | Online pari-mutuel betting only with the licence holder's permission; unauthorised organisers face 3 months to 2 years in prison | — |
| Lottery | State monopoly | Milli Piyango İdaresi (MPİ); licence for the named cash games held by the Turkey Wealth Fund for 49 years | 10% of revenue after VAT | After the Fund took the licence, MPİ cannot run these games or grant another licence for them | — |
| Online casino | Banned | No licence exists | — | Banned. Offshore sites reach players on mirror domains with added letters or digits, social media and redirect sites, taking deposits through rented bank, e-money and crypto accounts. The state has acted. MPİ notified 232,899 sites for blocking in 2024, the Interior Ministry runs operations, and the central bank revoked four payment and e-money institutions' permits from October 2025 to September 2026 | Online advertising of casino games banned |
| Online poker | Banned | No licence exists | — | No provision licenses poker; it reaches players only through the same offshore sites as online casino | — |
Decided24 Jul 2026Law 7590
Who blocks gambling sites in Turkey now?
Since Law 7590 of 24 July 2026 the access-blocking text of Law 5651 names the Siber Güvenlik Başkanlığı (the Cyber Security Presidency) instead of BTK. The state operators, including the Spor Toto body and MPİ, may decide on blocking for crimes in their field committed on the internet and send the decision to the Siber Güvenlik Başkanlığı for execution. Its president can also decide blocking ex officio for publications that constitute these offences. Earlier, Presidential Circular 2025/18 of 31 October 2025 adopted the 2025-2026 Action Plan against illegal online betting, games of chance and gambling.
Law 5651 (blocking) ↗Circular 2025/18 (Resmî Gazete, 1 November 2025) ↗
Regulator and player protection in Turkey
Regulator
Application authority and enforcement body
Mandatory RG controls
No limit imposed on players
Deposit limits or reality checks the law requires operators to offer
Getting licensed: no online licence route
Why there is no online licence, and what exists instead, are in the licence guide
No private operator can be licensed online. The legal basis, what the law allows instead and what an operator or supplier can do are set out there.Read the licence guide
Gambling tax: 5% / 7% / 10% of revenue (stakes less VAT)
Detail
The games-of-chance tax (şans oyunları vergisi, Law 5602 art. 6) is 5% on sports joint betting, 7% on horse racing and 10% on lotteries and other games of chance, the same in 2025 and 2026 (Presidential Decision No. 8003 applies exactly those rates; the President may double or halve them). The base is revenue (hasılat): the amount collected from participants less VAT; prizes are not deducted.
It is declared monthly by the 20th of the following month. The public share (kamu payı) takes net revenue less investment and operating costs, capped at 20% of revenue, quarterly into the general budget; organising games of chance is also within VAT (Law 3065 art. 1(3)(b)).
Which foreign licences Turkey accepts
Turkey recognises none of these 5 foreign licences.
BannedMalta (MGA) · Curaçao (CGB) · United Kingdom (UKGC) · Gibraltar (GRA) · Isle of Man (GSC)
Not recognised: no foreign licence gives a right to offer games in Turkey, and making games run abroad playable from Turkey carries 4 to 6 years' imprisonment (Law 7258 art. 5(1)(b)). Sites are blocked under Law 5651.
Bonus rules: welcome bonuses restricted
Inducement ads: Channel-restricted
No rule names welcome bonuses. The state operators' promotions follow their own regulations and general advertising law; any promotion of unlicensed gambling is the advertising offence.
What the player can claim
- Welcome bonus
- Restricted
- Casino, slots and poker are illegal, so no bonus on them is lawful.
What the operator can advertise
- Channels off-limits
- All channels for unlicensed gambling (Law 7258 art. 5(1)(ç); KHK 320 art. 52)
- Calls, SMS, e-mail or letters to non-subscribers by Spor Toto online dealers (Uygulama Yönetmeliği art. 31(1)(g))
- Messages ads may not give
- Presenting winnings as easy or high income
- Presenting games as a way out of financial difficulty or an alternative to work
- Calling a good 'free' when the consumer must pay to obtain it
- Mandatory disclaimer
SORUMLU OYNAYALIM: Şans oyunları risk içerebilir.
- Placement rule
- All MPİ marketing, advertising and promotional material
- Penalties
Encouraging unlicensed betting or games of chance by advertising: 1 to 3 years' imprisonment and up to 3,000 days' fine.
A Spor Toto online dealer found advertising illegal betting has its authority to run games stopped.
Advertising: limited
Only the state operators may advertise gambling in Turkey: Spor Toto, the Milli Piyango İdaresi and their dealers and licence holder, each within its own rules. For anyone else, encouraging people to play betting or games of chance 'by advertising or otherwise' is a crime (1 to 3 years' imprisonment and up to 3,000 days' fine; Law 7258 art. 5(1)(ç), KHK 320 art. 52), and advertising casino-type games online is banned outright. The Ministry of Trade's Advertising Board can stop, fine and have advertising content blocked (Law 6502 art. 77(12)); broadcasts may not encourage gambling (Law 6112 art. 8(1)(h)). MPİ's policy requires 'SORUMLU OYNAYALIM: Şans oyunları risk içerebilir.' in all its marketing.
| Channel | Status | Vertical & Platform Split (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Search & online ads | Restricted | Spor Toto may have its online dealers promote the bets in sport-related media, not aimed at under-18s (Uygulama Yönetmeliği art. 31(1)(e), since 13 February 2026). Online advertising of unlicensed gambling is an offence and is blocked under Law 5651 art. 8.156 |
| Social media & influencers | Restricted | Unlicensed gambling promotion by influencers is the advertising offence; the Advertising Board blocked 30 high-follower accounts in August 2025 and 15 in January 2026. Lawful operators follow MPİ licence regulation art. 41 and MPİ's policy.1378 |
| TV & Radio | Restricted | No instrument bans TV or radio advertising by the state operators; MPİ's policy keeps it away from children's programmes and the periods around them. Broadcasts may not encourage gambling (Law 6112 art. 8(1)(h)).3910 |
| Sponsorships | Restricted | Spor Toto sponsors sport through naming-rights payments to clubs and federations; sponsorship by unlicensed brands is part of the advertising offence.111 |
| Outdoor | Restricted | The MPİ licensee's fixed outdoor advertising must be at least 100 metres from schools, places of worship and youth centres; banned for unlicensed gambling.110 |
| Direct marketing | Restricted | Spor Toto online dealers may not send calls, SMS, e-mail or letters to non-subscribers to encourage play; commercial electronic messages need prior consent (Law 6563 art. 6).2 |
Channel rules for Turkey reflect each platform's published policy and the sources numbered in each row (listed under Methodology & sources). Verify with the local regulator and your ad-platform account manager before launching.
How Turkey enforces against unlicensed operators
Unlicensed gambling is a crime for those who run it, give access to it from abroad, mediate its payments or advertise it (3 to 5, 4 to 6, 3 to 5 and 1 to 3 years' imprisonment; Law 7258 art. 5; KHK 320 art. 52), and an administrative fine of TRY 5,000 to 20,000 for the player. Sites are blocked by court order, by the Siber Güvenlik Başkanlığı and by MPİ and Spor Toto themselves (Law 5651 art. 8(14)); applications and social media accounts need a criminal judgeship of peace. No law gives a payment-blocking power, but mediating payments is an offence. Offshore casino and betting sites still reach Turkish players: blocked sites come back under new domain names announced on social media and video platforms and through redirect sites, and deposits run through rented bank, e-money and crypto accounts (MPİ 2024 annual report; Interior Ministry). The state answers with access blocking (MPİ notified 232,899 sites for blocking in 2024), police operations against betting and payment networks, the cancellation of four payment and e-money institutions' permits between October 2025 and September 2026, and Advertising Board blocks on social media accounts (30 in August 2025, 15 in January 2026).
- MPİ notified 232,899 sites for access blocking in 2024 (168,030 in 2023) and referred 375,367 sites to prosecutors in 2016-2024 (MPİ 2024 annual report).
- The Central Bank cancelled the operating permits of four payment and e-money institutions between October 2025 and September 2026 (Resmî Gazete notices; no reasons printed).
- The Ministry of Trade's Advertising Board blocked 30 high-follower accounts in August 2025 and 15 in January 2026 for illegal betting advertising.
- MPİ sent blocking decisions on polymarket.com, kalshi.com and predict.fun to the Siber Güvenlik Başkanlığı.
Licensed operators: 13
As of 9 Nov 2026, approximately 13 operators hold an active licence in Turkey. Size your entry against this base before committing capital.
Notable licensed operators
Nesine.com
Bilyoner.com
Misli.com
Oley.com
Traps operators hit in Turkey
Specific operational risks that have caught new entrants in this market. Each item is country-specific. Generic gambling-ops issues (KYC, RG tools) are not included unless they have a local twist.
No licence for a private operator
The rights belong to Spor Toto, MPİ and the racing licence holder. The only private routes are the head-dealer tender and the online-dealer licence, both for Turkish joint-stock companies.
Serving Turkey from abroad is a crime
Making games run abroad playable from Turkey carries 4 to 6 years' imprisonment; running unlicensed games 3 to 5 years; mediating money transfers 3 to 5 years; advertising 1 to 3 years. The offences reach the natural persons who act, and security measures apply to companies.
Payment partners are pursued
Mediating payments for unlicensed games is an offence, and the Central Bank cancelled four payment and e-money institutions' permits between October 2025 and September 2026.
Affiliates and influencers face the advertising offence
Encouraging play 'by advertising and other means' covers affiliate and influencer promotion; the Advertising Board blocks accounts.
Timeline: rules in force
- July 2026
Law 7590: Siber Güvenlik Başkanlığı executes blocks
Law 5651 now names the Siber Güvenlik Başkanlığı instead of the BTK.
Source: 6
- November 2025
Action Plan 2025-2026
Presidential Circular 2025/18 put into force the Action Plan against illegal online betting and gambling (a policy document).
Source: 19
- June 2025
Constitutional Court annulment takes effect; Law 7551
The annulment of parts of Law 7258 and KHK 320 took effect on 5 June 2025; Law 7551 re-enacted Spor Toto's dealer powers from 1 July 2025.
Source: 20
- 2018
Racing licence to the Turkey Wealth Fund
The racing and pari-mutuel licences were given to the Turkey Wealth Fund for 49 years from 1 January 2018 (Law 6132 ek art. 2); the lottery licence is also held by the Fund for 49 years (KHK 320 ek art. 2).
Source: 21
- 2006
Ban on Non-State Online Gambling
A law was passed making all forms of online gambling illegal, with the exception of the state-controlled sports betting entity.
Source: 22
- 1998
Land-Based Casinos Banned
Following a series of scandals, a law took effect closing all land-based casinos in the country.
Source: 23
- 1959
Law 7258
Law No. 7258 of 29 April 1959 on betting and games of chance on sports; its art. 5 holds the offences and the player fine.
Source: 1
Operator myths vs reality in Turkey
Common assumptions about gambling licensing that turn out to be wrong in practice.
- MythAn MGA or Curaçao licence lets us take Turkish players.Reality
No foreign licence is recognised; making games run abroad playable from Turkey carries 4 to 6 years' imprisonment.
Sources1
- MythWe can apply for a Turkish online licence.Reality
No private operator licence exists. A Turkish joint-stock company can become a Spor Toto online dealer, selling the State's games.
Sources2
Markets that work like Turkey
Compared on what our records hold for each country: whether online casino, betting, poker and lottery are licensed, state-run or banned, the licensing model, what the operator tax is levied on and its band, how most advertising channels are treated, and how foreign licences are treated. A point we hold for only one of the two countries counts for nothing.
- AzerbaijanChecked
Online casino and poker banned; turnover tax 0–10%; most ad channels restricted; foreign licences mostly banned.
- NorwayChecked
Betting and lottery state-run; poker banned; most ad channels restricted; foreign licences mostly banned.
- IsraelCheckedMacaoCheckedSingaporeChecked
Online casino and poker banned; most ad channels restricted; foreign licences mostly banned.
Methodology & sources
The research behind our Turkey coverage
Counted across every Turkey page, not this page alone.
compiled 9 Nov 2026
12
official websites
regulators, legislatures, courts
140
pages cited
specific documents, not homepages
249
sourced data points
each traced to the instrument
Across every Turkey page on this site: players, operators and the licence guide. The research report behind them cites official sources: the law, the regulator, the gazette, the courts and each platform’s own published advertising policy. Page sections not yet rewritten from the report may cite other sources.
The same research as a 84-page Turkey report: every one of the 201 checklist questions, each answer cited to the instrument behind it.
Request the Turkey reportOur Deep AI Scan took Turkey through all 201 questions of our regulatory checklist, from 92 official documents, read on 9 Nov 2026. Our research team then traced every figure on this page to the document and sentence that states it. The full research report is due to go to our compliance team. Where a fact rests on a press report or a law-firm summary rather than an official document, the page says so.
Documents cited on this page
- 1Law No. 7258 of 29 April 1959 (betting and games of chance on football and other sports), consolidated
- 2Spor Toto: Implementing Regulation on fixed-odds and pool betting on sports (RG 28/2/2009), consolidated
- 3Milli Piyango İdaresi: responsible marketing and advertising principles
- 4Commercial Advertising and Unfair Commercial Practices Regulation (amended RG 1/7/2026 no. 33297)
- 5Amending Regulation of Spor Toto, Resmî Gazete 13 February 2026 no. 33167
- 6Law No. 5651 of 4 May 2007 (internet publications), consolidated
- 7Ministry of Trade, 20 August 2025: Advertising Board blocks 30 high-follower accounts advertising illegal betting
- 8Ministry of Trade, 18 January 2026: Advertising Board action against 15 social media accounts
- 9Law No. 6112 of 15 February 2011 (radio and television broadcasting)
- 10MPİ: Regulation on the games-of-chance licence (Şans Oyunları Lisansı Yönetmeliği)
- 11Law No. 5602 of 14 March 2007 (tax, fund and shares from games-of-chance revenue)
- 12Decree-Law (KHK) No. 320 of 4 April 1988 on the National Lottery, consolidated
- 13Milli Piyango İdaresi 2024 annual report (Faaliyet Raporu), part V on illegal games of chance
- 14Resmî Gazete 31 October 2025: an e-money institution's operating permit cancelled
- 15Resmî Gazete 23 September 2026 no. 33379: an e-money and payment institution's operating permit cancelled
- 16MPİ notice: global 'prediction market' platforms running illegal games of chance and betting
- 17Law No. 5738 of 21 February 2008 (fixed-odds and pool betting on sports run by private-law persons)
- 18Turkish Penal Code, Law No. 5237
- 19Resmî Gazete 1 November 2025 no. 33064: Presidential Circular 2025/18 (Action Plan 2025-2026)
- 20Resmî Gazete 5 June 2024: Constitutional Court decision of 7/12/2023, E. 2021/125, K. 2023/213
- 21Law No. 6132 of 10 July 1953 on horse racing
- 22Source
- 23Source
The 10 documents this page relies on most
- Şans Oyunları Lisansının Verilmesi, Lisansa Konu Faaliyetlerin Düzenlenmesi ve Denetlenmesi Hakkında Yönetmelik (RG 15/10/2008 no. 27025; amended RG 4/11/2008 no. 27044, 25/10/2013 no. 28802, 1/4/2016 no. 29671)Regulator
- Law No. 5738 of 21 February 2008 (Spor Müsabakalarına Dayalı Sabit İhtimalli ve Müşterek Bahis Oyunlarının Özel Hukuk Tüzel Kişilerine Yaptırılması Hakkında Kanun)Regulator
- Spor Müsabakalarına Dayalı Sabit İhtimalli ve Müşterek Bahis Oyunları Uygulama Yönetmeliği (RG 28/2/2009 no. 27155; amended RG 13/7/2019 no. 30830, 26/11/2024 no. 32734, 13/2/2026 no. 33167)Regulator
- Law No. 7258 of 29 April 1959 (Futbol ve Diğer Spor Müsabakalarında Bahis ve Şans Oyunları Düzenlenmesi Hakkında Kanun), consolidated textRegulator
- Decree-Law (KHK) No. 320 of 4 April 1988 (Milli Piyango Hakkında Kanun Hükmünde Kararname), consolidated textLaw
- Law No. 5602 of 14 March 2007 (Şans Oyunları Hasılatından Alınan Vergi, Fon ve Payların Düzenlenmesi Hakkında Kanun)Regulator
- Spor Müsabakalarına Dayalı Sabit İhtimalli ve Müşterek Bahis Oyunları Uygulama Yönetmeliği (Gençlik ve Spor Genel Müdürlüğü; RG 28/2/2009 no. 27155), text as publishedRegulator
- Sabit İhtimalli Bahis Oyunları (İddaa) Oyun Planı, Spor Toto Teşkilat BaşkanlığıRegulator
- MPİ, Sorumlu Pazarlama ve Reklam İlkeleri (Pazarlama ve Reklam İlkeleri Politika Belgesi)Regulator
- Law No. 5651 of 4 May 2007 (internet publications), consolidated textRegulator
Also cited on this page
- Law No. 7338 (Inheritance and Gift Tax Law), consolidated
- MPİ: list of the head dealer and online dealers (Bayilerimiz)
- Spor Toto Teşkilat Başkanlığı
92 documents in all. Request the full research report for every source, answer by answer.
Looking for the player guide?
For consumer-facing information about gambling in Turkey (tax on winnings, where to play legally, self-exclusion options), see the Turkey player guide.
Disclaimer. This page reflects the law as we understood it on 9 Nov 2026. Rules change: always check the current position with Spor Toto Teşkilat Başkanlığı (sports betting), Milli Piyango İdaresi (lotteries), Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (horse racing). We are not a legal adviser.