Turkey blocks over 100 online gambling sites

Turkey has blocked access to 110 illegal gambling websites over the last five years, according to an annual report released by the country's telecommunications authority on Monday.

The National Lottery and Turkey's telecommunications authority, or TIB, have joined forces to combat online betting and gambling after a long campaign.

The National Lottery, which demanded action against 440 websites over the period in question and also tracks foreign betting and gambling websites, demanded the telecoms directorate close 93 websites in 2009, 119 websites in 2010, 110 websites in 2011, 88 websites in 2012 and 30 websites in 2013.

The TIB blocked internet access to the 110 websites in question on the grounds that the pages were providing online gambling services.

Physical gambling premises (casinos and gaming houses) were closed down in 1997 in Turkey, but many of their services have been transferred to the online world. Technological developments have opened access to illegal betting sites, increasing concerns about gambling addiction and betting among underage people.

The urge to prevent young people from gambling amid an increasing number of addicts, coupled with the imperative to protect state revenues, led the government to take new measures, passing laws expressly outlawing the activity in 2007.

The telecommunications body was also given the authority to block access to online gambling and illegal betting sites in November 2007.