Turkey Will Launch Offensive Against Illegal Gambling

The government of Turkey, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, announed this week that they are undertaking a two year offensive against illegal online gambling sites.

The Justice Ministry will be working with the Revenues Department and police to crack down on gambling of casino. This will be done through an anti-gambling task force, and will see the group raiding internet cafes, shuttering websites, and taking on gambling dens. The country's bank regulator will work to keep betting groups from processing online betting transactions. Operators and employees of the illegal spots will have their funds seized, and those funds will be absorbed by the government.

Online gambling games are illegal in Turkey, as the country banned land casinos in 1998 and barred online casinos in 2006. There is a national lottery and state monopoly that controls sportsbetting, but gambling of casino as a whole isn't allowed. The Turkish government has had an interesting year, as Erdogan put down a failed coup attempt by factions of the military, and has strengthened his grasp on power, causing concern that the country is leaning toward a dictatorship.