According to a report released by Turkey’s Telecommunications Authority (TIB), Turkey’s ongoing war against online gambling has resulted in the country blocking 110 gambling websites over the past five years.
Together with the National Lottery, TIB has taken a proactive approach to purging the country’s Internet of online gambling, which they deemed illegal in 2000.
The National Lottery, in particular, has taken serious action against 440 websites in the past five years, demanding the closure of 93 websites back in 2009, 119 in 2010, 110 in 2011, 88 in 2012 and another 93 websites in 2013. Of this number, the TIB blocked the access of 110 websites after determining their online gambling services to be illegal.
Turkey has always been strict when it comes to gambling. The country shuttered physical gambling establishments like casinos back in 1997—a move credit for shifting illegal gambling services online. Technological developments have opened access to illegal betting sites, increasing concerns about gambling addiction and betting among underage people.
The government then took it a step further in 2007 by passing new laws and implementing new measures outlawing gambling in the country. The telecommunication body obtained an authority to block access to online gambling and illegal betting sites in November of the same year.
Turkey is not the only country actively blocking online gambling sites within their borders. In Hungary, the Gambling Supervision Department has added Bet365 and bwin.party to its growing online gambling blacklist.
The two popular betting sites have joined the likes of Ladbrokes, Betsson, Betclic, Unibet, Bet-at-home, Sportingbet, 10Bet, Fortunawin and Mayplay.
According to the regulator, all of the blacklisted sites violated the country’s 1991 Act XXXIV gambling regulation that specifically requires gambling companies to secure a license from the Tax and Customs Administration to operate in the country.
