Live Casinos in Turkey

Turkey introduced a presidential system in 2017 with a referendum organized by the government led by AKP, the party that is currently in power. Turkey is regarded as a regional power, and a newly industrialized country, making it a developing country, with a very strong geopolitical location. The economy is among the emerging ones in the world, and it is the 20th largest in the world by nominal GDP, as well as 11th largest by PPP.

Turkey is a member of the UN, NATO, IMF, the World Bank, as well as being a founding member of the OECD, OSCE, BSEC, OIC, and G20. Turkey became an associate member of the EEC in 1963 and started its accession negotiations with the EU back in 2005.

Even though Turkey is a secular state, the laws that cover the gambling sector remain influenced by Islam, and it states that all forms of gambling should be prohibited as it leads to the moral corruption of individuals and it leads people away from living an honest life.

So, live casinos are banned in Turkey, and the only operator that can offer online betting services is the state-run IDDAA. Live casinos were allowed for a short period, but they were prohibited in 2007, so currently, there are no licensed operators in Turkey.

However, gambling is a very popular activity among Turkish punters so it comes as no surprise that they have found a way around the legislation. There are numerous international live casinos that accept players from the country, and Turks make complete use of it.

In 2013, the government took another step in trying to stop its citizens from gambling at such sites by enforcing laws that stated players would be prosecuted for using illegal live casinos. The penalties for the people caught in such activities vary between $55,000 to $278,000. However, to this day there are no recorded cases of citizens being prosecuted for gambling at foreign live casinos, so this is a bit of relief to the new players out there. Live casinos caught in providing these services face jail time.

Any player that is looking to gamble at these sites is risking being caught, but history suggests that no one should be worried, as the government does not seem overly interested in chasing individuals for gambling online. It would be good advice for punters to add a bit more security to their gambling though, as using a good VPN will provide you with some comfort while playing their favorite live games.

Turkey has a long and complex history regarding gambling. Casinos were allowed until the early 1990s, and the casino industry, in general, was thriving in the country. However, one event changed the whole landscape – the murder of Omer Luftu Topal in 1998, who was a businessman, and held the nickname "The Casino King", as he had many gambling establishments that gave him a fortune.

Following his murder, the entire casino sector was targeted by the government, as it was widely thought that it is being used to launder money and facilitate organized crime. Since then, all gambling legislation is being created based on Islam, which states that gambling is a morally corrupting activity, and citizens should stay away from it, as it can only bring harm. It turns them into non-productive members of society, and they rely on luck, rather than honest work to make a living.

The same goes for online gambling, as currently there are no active live casinos that are allowed to offer their services to Turkish players. It is completely illegal to gamble at any foreign live casino, and there are strict penalties for people caught in such activities. The only legal online gambling operator in the country is the state-run firm IDDAA.

Despite the country-wide ban on online gambling, there are tons of international live casinos that Turkish punters can use to play their favorite games, and even though it is an illegal activity, there is yet to be a case of a citizen being criminally charged for gambling online.

Unfortunately, Turks do not have the luxury of choosing a land-based casino to gamble on, as the country has banned all types of gambling. Just like it is the case in most Muslim countries, the government has a very strict approach to gambling in general.

The same goes for the online gambling sector, as no operator is allowed to offer any types of online gambling services to Turkish players, except for IDDAA, who only has sports-betting options. When it comes to live casinos, Turks are forced to try their luck at offshore sites, and the government tries to stop them from doing so, but with little success. There is no case yet of a player being punished for playing games at offshore live casinos.

Given the current political climate in Turkey, it can be assumed that it is highly unlikely that the current gambling laws will change in the near future. The conservative Islamists are currently holding all the power in the government, so gambling, in general, is considered to be immoral, and it is widely condemned.

Although many of the Turks agree with this stance, and they follow the government’s regulation regarding gambling, there is still a lot of these activities going on in the country. Although there are no active online casinos in the country, Turkish players can still access many legal international sites that will gladly accept them as players.

The penalties for such activities are very harsh, but the players seem confident that they cannot be caught, and to this day no one has ever paid the penalties for gambling at offshore online casinos. The polls conducted in the country state that gambling is among the favorite hobbies in Turkey, so the young population in general pressures the government into making certain amendments to the current laws.

They have had no success so far, and there is only one operator that is allowed to offer online betting services, but it offers no casino games. It seems that the government is pretty happy with how the gambling climate is structured, so it is very unlikely that they will change their stance in the near future. Until then, Turkish players can look for foreign online casinos to try their luck at.

The short answer to this question would be – no, casinos are not legal in the country. Turkey's gambling laws are created by the Islam beliefs that gambling is a morally unacceptable activity and people should stay away from such activities.

The only form of online betting in the country is organized by the government-led IDDAA, but they provide no casino games for the citizens. Things were not this tight in the country, as before 1996 the casino industry was booming in Turkey.

However, the murder of the kingpin in the casino world, Omar Luftu Topal proved to be the catalyst from changes in the legislation. The government was worried that casinos are used to launder money and facilitate organized crime, so gambling was made illegal, so the entire industry suffered due to this.

Ever since the regulations are getting tighter with each day, and since 2013, the government penalizes people that place bets online on offshore gambling sites. No live casinos are allowed in the country, and any player that is caught in playing live games will be subject to a hefty fine.

However, Turks have found a way around this, as by using a good VPN they can avoid such penalties and they can gamble harmlessly at any licensed live casino in the world that accepts players from their country.

There is no gambling activity that is legal in Turkey, with the only exception to this being sports betting and lotto, but they are both provided by state-run operators. So, private entities cannot obtain a license to offer gambling services to Turkish citizens.

According to the Turkish Criminal Code, casino games, as well as other types of gambling, like roulette, pinball, and slots are prohibited and illegal. Although not specifically mentioned, online gambling in Turkey is also considered to be illegal, and it was later confirmed by the Law for Internet Broadcasting and Combatting Criminal Offences done via the Internet.

So, there is no special authority or regulatory body strictly in charge of controlling the casino sector, but there are some governmental sub-agencies making sure that the restrictive gambling laws are being enforced.

Online gambling is illegal in the country, and since 2013 all individuals caught in such activities face heavy fines that can go up to $278,000. Although it seems strict, a player is yet to be criminally charged for placing bets at international live casinos, as the government does not seem overly interested in chasing individual citizens who play casino games online.

With that in mind, any new Turkish player can rest assured that they are safe while playing at licensed foreign gambling sites, but some added protection via a good VPN cannot harm. There are many international sites accepting Turkish players, but they need to be checked whether they own a relevant license before playing on them.

Live casino gaming is widely thought of as the new trend in the online gambling industry, and Turkish players are loving it. Online gambling is illegal in the country, so they cannot play their favorite games at a domestic live casino, but they have more than enough foreign sites that they can gamble on.

The most popular live games among Turkish players include poker, baccarat, as well as live slots, and live scratch cards. Poker in general is a game that has been around for a long time, and it seems that it will stay that way, as it is very simple to understand, yet it requires a specific skill set, as well as some luck to make winnings. So, it is no surprise that the live version of it is so popular in Turkey.

Live blackjack also ranks very highly in the list, as it is the case in many countries in the world, and when playing this game, punters are up against a dealer, who is a real human being, and they can communicate with them via a live chat or a video stream.

One of the first things that any player will notice upon registering to a live casino is the number of games that are at their disposal. The most reputable live casinos have thousands of games to choose from, and what is more important, they all come from the leading game providers in the market.

There are many international operators that provide their services to Turkish players, so there is no shortage of options when games are in question. The majority of the live casinos that accept players from Turkey have made sure to partner with the leading software providers, such as Microgaming, NetEnt, Playtech, Play’n GO, Yggdrasil, BetSoft, Barcrest, and many more.

Some games are more popular than others in different countries in the world, and in Turkey, it seems that the slots are the ones that players tend to enjoy playing. They make up the vast majority of the games on any online gambling site.

The typical casino that accepts players from Turkey will have tons of these games to keep them entertained, and what is good about the slots is that they come in many versions, themes, graphics, features, sound effects, etc. so every player will have something for their preference.

One of the advantages of playing at the most reputable live casinos in the world is the bonuses that will come in the players' way. Turkish players are spoiled when this is in question, as the best sites give a whole variety of promotional offers, which is always a good way to attract new players, and retain the already existing ones.

Every punter will be eligible to claim a welcome bonus upon registering to the site, and it is usually the casino matching the first, second, and sometimes the third deposit made by the player. Other popular promotions that Turkish players will encounter are the free spins, no deposit bonuses, as well as the cashback option that some sites provide.

All players need to know that every bonus or promotion has some terms and conditions attached, as well as wagering requirements. It is important for every punter to browse through them before deciding to use any bonus, as not all bonuses are really worth claiming.

The welcome packages usually come with the most terms and conditions, and they always have some wagering requirements that need to be met. It can only be applied to newly registered players on the site, and it can only be used once for every account.

Sometimes, players will see that the sign-up deposit is paired with free spins, and all the winnings that players make from the free spins will be converted into bonus money that the player later has to wager. Some free spins wins do not convert into a bonus, but they are very rare. The no-deposit bonus together with the cashback is self-explanatory, and the best live casinos make sure to have them available.

When it comes to payment methods, there are some very popular ones among Turkish players. Debit and credit cards used to be the most used methods in the country, but the government started to investigate banks for allowing payments to be made to offshore live casinos, and many of them didn't allow these transactions anymore.

Therefore, the most popular payment method among punters in Turkey is Ecopayz, and is an e-Wallet that keeps the banking information safe, and doesn't allow banks to discover the movement of the money and block the payments. Other e-Wallets, like Skrill, are also popular, but not all bonuses are available with these payment options.

Turkish players do not have a wide range of choices when it comes to choosing a payment method for their transactions, and although they tend to use whatever they have at their disposal, it is assumed that the cryptocurrency transactions are still not so widely used in the country.

Many casinos accept cryptocurrencies for making deposits and withdrawals, but Turks don’t seem overly impressed with this. The government doesn't regulate trading with cryptocurrencies, meaning that it is expected that they will become hugely popular in the future in the online gambling industry, but for now, they have a peripheral role.