Turkey is considering an artificial intelligence-based detection system as it expands its campaign against illegal online betting and gambling, with authorities seeking to identify platforms that frequently change addresses and technical infrastructure.
Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz said the proposal was discussed at a coordination meeting for the country's 2025-2026 Action Plan Against Illegal Online Betting and Gambling. The roadmap would examine how AI and data analytics could support a shared detection and screening capability across state institutions.
The initiative builds on Presidential Circular 2025/18, published in November 2025. The framework covers illegal activity across digital channels, financial systems and advertising, with the Financial Crimes Investigation Board, known as MASAK, responsible for coordinating implementation and monitoring.
Enforcement has already expanded beyond individual gambling domains. A Ministry of Treasury and Finance presentation showed that 76,187 websites were blocked between January and November 2025, compared with 232,899 during 2024.
Authorities also began blocking infrastructure used by content providers serving illegal gambling sites in May 2025, resulting in restrictions against 12,308 server addresses by November.
Another 1,692 websites directing users towards illegal betting or gambling were blocked during that period.
Yılmaz said authorities have also increased monitoring of accounts used to move gambling proceeds and are developing mechanisms for identifying, restricting or closing accounts considered risky.
Work has included tighter controls on mobile subscriptions and bulk SMS traffic used to direct players towards illegal platforms.
Advertising has become another enforcement channel. From 1 August, Turkey expanded its prohibition on advertising illegal betting and gambling to explicitly cover illegal games of chance.
The Ministry of Trade has separately ordered access restrictions against social media accounts found to be directing consumers towards illegal gambling sites.
Turkey maintains a tightly controlled legal gambling framework. Milli Piyango states that the licence rights for cash-based lottery games were transferred to the Turkey Wealth Fund for 49 years, while facilitating unauthorised gambling, providing access to overseas games or handling associated money transfers can result in criminal penalties.
The latest coordination meeting also covered possible legislative changes, analysis of licensed and illegal platform usage and the impact of gambling advertising.
Turkey's Communications Directorate launched its 'Don't Fall for a Trick' awareness campaign earlier this month, warning consumers about unlicensed operators, misleading promotions and promises of easy financial returns.
MASAK is required to monitor implementation of the 2025-2026 action plan every two months, while coordination meetings chaired by the Vice President take place every four months
