ILLEGAL GAMES OF CHANCE, VIRTUAL BETTING AND GAMBLING

Pointing out that the world is changing rapidly and universal values are eroding, President Erdoğan pointed out that the new opportunities offered by technology and the internet also bring with them significant risks and threats.

Erdoğan stated that young people, in particular, are increasingly exposed to new-generation threats, saying,"The level of digital attacks targeting our youth and the family is increasing daily. Chief among these are new addictions like illegal games of chance, virtual betting, and gambling. Harmful content deliberately circulated on social media and digital platforms is infecting our children from a very young age. Combating these threats, which destroy homes, tear our children away from us, and fuel our homes, is not only the state's but also the fundamental duty of all of us."

Erdoğan emphasized that whatever is necessary for strong individuals, strong families, strong societies, and healthy generations must be done collectively, and continued:

By declaring 2025 the Year of the Family, we have given new momentum to our efforts in this direction, along with our support and incentive packages. Our Family and Youth Fund, implemented in all 81 provinces, has become a significant resource benefiting thousands of young couples, but these are not enough. Our civil society organizations and the business world also need to step up, take responsibility, and shoulder the responsibility. Our volunteer organizations, whose successes we are always proud of, have crucial responsibilities in both family and youth work.

We expect our volunteer organizations to take on a more active role in rescuing our people from the clutches of harmful habits, especially online gambling and betting. Similarly, it is crucial for our associations, foundations, and charities to reach out to a much larger number of our people, especially our youth, and to closely address the problems of our families. Otherwise, we cannot prevent all our efforts from being wasted, like a leaky bucket.

At the end of his speech, President Erdoğan wished success to the Turkish National Football Team, which will face Bulgaria in its third match of the 2026 World Cup European Qualifiers Group E, saying,"We expect a good score from our children that will make us all happy as a nation."