Turkey has been a democracy and a secular republic since World War One, as it was then led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. It has been so to this day and has hosted land based casinos and allowed gambling until only a few years ago, a practice that has attracted tourism and helped the Turkish economy grow. However, a report that came out this week tells of restrictions that are likely to be introduced concerning online casinos and the gambling industry on the Internet. The Turks are facing a decision many countries also face these days, and the direction they take with regard to online casinos will be closely watched by gamblers worldwide.

A Turkish newspaper reported that authorities in the country are saying online casinos are “denigrating Turkishness, the republic, the institutions and organs of the state.” An amendment to the censorship laws being introduced will censor online casinos and block sites that encourage, promote or offer online gambling, practically shutting down any option the Turks have of gambling online.

The censorship law applies to more than just online casinos, targeting various web sites that at times are criminal and at times within the definition of freedom of expression, at least in the opinion of some. The bill will mainly combat child abuse and indecent broadcasting, but include online casinos as well, as it is currently proposed. Penalties will be prison sentences of between half a year and three years.

The law is controversial and being debated in Turkey, as well as elsewhere around the world. Does the government need to protect gamblers who play at online casinos from themselves? Is online casinos gambling a form of entertainment and skills or something else that needs to be outlawed? To add to the controversy over the proposed bill is the recent memory of the trial against Nobel Prize winner, Orhan Pamuk, for expressing his opinions that the authorities wanted censored. Soon we will all learn of the direction the Turkish government will choose to take.