THE REGULATION OF ESPORTS IN TÜRKİYE

A Structured and State-Supervised Ecosystem

The esports and gaming sector in Türkiye is a multi-million US dollar industry, with total gaming revenues exceeding US$1 billion (around Sw. Frs. 775 million) in 2025.

Driven by almost 50 million active players and a young, digitally-savvy population, this sector thrives on mobile dominance, over 14,000 amateur teams, and strong institutional support. Key investments in infrastructure, including dedicated esports arenas, have established Türkiye as a major regional player in esports.

As of 2026, the regulation of esports in Türkiye has evolved into a structured, state supervised, and increasingly institutionalised system. What began as a rapidly growing digital entertainment sector has now been formally integrated into the national sports governance model. The  (TESFED), which operates under the Ministry of Youth and Sports, occupies the centre of this regulatory framework.

Türkiye has deliberately chosen not to leave esports in a purely private or market driven sphere. Instead, it has adopted a model that mirrors the governance structure of traditional sports, such as football and basketball, emphasising licensing, disciplinary oversight, anti-doping compliance, youth protection, and financial transparency.

This development has significant legal implications for players, clubs, sponsors, tournament organisers, digital platforms, and investors operating within the Turkish market.

1. Governance and Official Status of TESFED

TESFED, which was established in 2018, holds exclusive regulatory authority over organised esports in Türkiye. Its Main Statute of 2022 defines its administrative structure, disciplinary bodies, licensing mechanisms, and registration requirements. TESFED operates with powers comparable to those of traditional sports federations under Turkish sports legislation.

All esports clubs and companies, that wish to operate officially, must register with the Ministry of Youth and Sports through TESFED. Participation in officially recognised tournaments requires compliance with the TESFED rules, including licensing, competition standards, and ethical obligations.

In recent years, TESFED has also moved towards increased financial and administrative independence. This shift aims to strengthen its ability to manage sponsorship arrangements, international partnerships, arbitration processes, and financial projects without excessive bureaucratic constraints. The long-term objective appears to be positioning TESFED as a fully autonomous sports authority within the wider national sports governance model.

For investors and organisations, this means that esports in Türkiye is no longer an informal or loosely regulated field: it is a regulated sports sector subject to public oversight.

2. Player Licensing and Contractual Protection

A cornerstone of the Turkish esports regulatory model is the mandatory licensing regime applicable to professional players. Individuals seeking to participate in official competitions must obtain licences, which are issued under the authority of the Ministry of Youth and Sports. By 2026, several thousand licensed esports players are registered nationwide, reflecting the scale of institutional participation.

However, licensing does not resolve the more complex question of contractual status. Unlike certain traditional professional athletes, whose employment relationships may be governed by specialised sports labour provisions, esports players’ contracts in Türkiye are predominantly characterised as obligations law relationships governed by the Turkish Code of Obligations.

This classification engenders important legal consequences:

• Many esports’ players are treated as independent contractors rather than employees.
• Labour law protections may not, therefore, automatically apply.
• The allocation of risk, remuneration structures, and termination mechanisms depend, primarily, upon contractual drafting.

Given that a significant proportion of professional players are minors or young adults, the absence of comprehensive labour-specific protection frameworks elevates the importance of legal structuring. Contractual provisions relating to image rights, sponsorship participation, prize distribution, performance obligations, disciplinary clauses, and transfer arrangements require particular attention.

TESFED has nevertheless introduced safeguarding measures, which address youth participation, and has engaged in international cooperation initiatives aimed at improving coaching standards, education pathways, and player welfare mechanisms. From a compliance perspective, esports clubs and player representatives must operate within both the TESFED regulations and general contract law principles to mitigate dispute risk.

3. Anti-Doping, Competitive Integrity, and Disciplinary Enforcement

Türkiye applies the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) principles to licensed esports athletes. The application of WADA standards demonstrates the Turkish state’s intention to align esports with traditional sports integrity norms.

The scope of integrity control includes:

• Prohibition of stimulants and performance-enhancing substances.
• Disciplinary sanctions for doping violations.
• Anti-cheating rules addressing software and hardware manipulation (so-called “e-doping”).
• Strict enforcement against match-fixing.

TESFED regulations prohibit cheating and integrity violations; however, they do not establish a dedicated institutional mechanism for the technical detection of e-doping. Consequently, disciplinary enforcement relies primarily upon publisher-generated evidence, tournament administration reports, and complaint-based investigations, creating a de facto publisher-centric detection model.

Match manipulation and betting-related corruption are treated with particular seriousness. Previous enforcement actions within Turkish esports leagues have demonstrated that both publishers and regulatory bodies are willing to impose bans and disciplinary sanctions.

Major esports tournaments in Türkiye now impose rigorous compliance requirements, including:

• Zero tolerance for cheating software.
• Prohibition of exploitative use of game bugs.
• Strict monitoring of player communications during competitions.
• Background checks regarding prior disciplinary sanctions.

The message is clear: competitive integrity is treated as a public-interest matter, not merely a private contractual issue.

4. Gambling, Financial Transparency, and MASAK Oversight

The intersection between esports and betting has attracted increasing regulatory attention.

Under Turkish law, legal sports betting, including esports betting, is strictly controlled by the Sports Toto Organisation Directorate. Betting activities must be authorised and included within the official state-approved framework. Unauthorised betting operations remain criminal offences under Turkish legislation.

As of 1 January 2026, financial oversight has intensified. The Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) now requires enhanced documentation for bank transactions of ₺200,000 (around Sw. Frs. 3,500) or more. This measure is aimed at combating money laundering, particularly in sectors vulnerable to illegal betting and digital asset flows.

For esports stakeholders, this means:

• Prize payments and sponsorship transfers must be properly documented.
• Large-scale tournament funding is subject to financial scrutiny.
• Partnerships with unauthorised gambling or so-called “skin betting” platforms present serious legal risks.

Major Turkish tournaments have responded by prohibiting sponsorships from non-licensed betting or unregulated digital financial entities.

Financial transparency has become an essential compliance element in the Turkish esports’ ecosystem.

5. Platform Regulation and Content Control

Beyond players and tournaments, Türkiye has turned its attention to digital gaming platforms.

Legislative proposals in 2026 seek to require large international gaming platforms, which exceed certain user thresholds, to establish local legal entities in Türkiye. Such platforms may be required to appoint local representatives and comply with national regulatory oversight.

The Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) has expanded powers to:

• Monitor digital content.
• Enforce age classification requirements.
• Restrict access to non-compliant services.
• Impose bandwidth throttling penalties of up to 90% for regulatory violations.

These measures reflect Türkiye’s broader digital governance policy, which prioritises national sovereignty over digital platforms and sensitivity to local cultural standards.

For publishers and platform operators, regulatory compliance in Türkiye is no longer optional; it is a market access condition.

6. Türkiye as an International Esports Hub

Despite increasing regulation, Türkiye, particularly Istanbul, continues to strengthen its international esports profile.

The country has hosted global competitions, including legs of the Global Esports Games, and continues to position itself as a strategic bridge between Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

The structured regulatory environment may, in fact, enhance investor confidence by providing legal certainty and dispute-resolution mechanisms, which are comparable to those found in traditional sports industries.

Conclusion: A Traditional Sports Model Applied to a Digital Industry

The Turkish esports framework in 2026 reflects a deliberate policy choice: integrating esports into the classical sports governance model rather than treating it as a purely digital entertainment sector.

Key characteristics of the system include:

• Centralised federation oversight.
• Mandatory licensing.
• Application of WADA anti-doping principles.
• Strict anti-match-fixing enforcement.
• State-controlled betting regulation.
• Financial transparency under MASAK supervision.
• Increasing platform-level regulatory intervention.

For players, clubs, investors, sponsors, and digital platforms, legal compliance in Türkiye requires a multi-layered understanding of sports law, contract law, financial regulation, and digital governance.

As esports continues to mature globally, the approach in Türkiye demonstrates how digital competition can be embedded within a structured legal order prioritising youth protection, competitive integrity, and financial accountability.

For stakeholders entering or expanding within the Turkish esports market, proactive legal structuring and regulatory alignment are no longer strategic advantages: they are operational necessities.

We advise clients on all legal aspects of esports in Türkiye and further information is available from the Head of our Turkish Law Practice, Gurur Gaye Günal, by emailing her at gunal@valloni.ch.