Turkish study ties frictionless payments and platform design to rising gambling harm

A multidisciplinary study of Turkey’s digital gambling sector says the problem is no longer just individual behaviour. It frames gambling harm as a public-health, regulatory and financial-integrity issue, with frictionless payments and targeted platform design doing a lot of the damage.

1. The research was done with gambling support charity Yeşilay Danışmanlık Merkezi (YEDAM) and analysed three linked datasets from 2020 to April 2025: more than 22,000 helpline calls, 14,458 initial clinical assessments and 3,767 social-service records. It also used in-depth interviews and expert policy consultations.
2. The report says gambling dependency in Turkey is being driven by a system, not just by individual choice. The three main drivers it identifies are constant access to digital gambling platforms, frictionless payment systems and targeted platform designs that keep people playing.
3. On user profile, the average age of treatment-seeking individuals was 34.7 years. Problem gambling cut across socio-economic groups, including people with secondary education and stable employment. Men represented about 97% of treatment cases, while the report says women may be under-represented in treatment rather than absent from gambling altogether.
4. The highest incidence was found among younger adults aged 26-35 and mid-career users aged 36-45. About 83.7% hid gambling from family, and about 46% reported social exclusion. Participants also reported gambling during work hours, losing focus and reduced productivity, with high-risk occupations including security personnel, gig and night workers, and low-income self-employed workers.
5. Payments are where the mechanics get ugly. The report says rapid and often opaque tools such as digital wallets, instant credit offers and off-platform payment chains significantly contributed to harm. Many clients funded gambling through credit cards, family loans or informal lenders; about 84% reported gambling-related debt, and 49.8% owed more than 100,000 TL ($2,033). Borrowing came mainly from family at 52% and banks at 28%.

The product-side findings matter for PSPs because the report does not stop at payment rails. It also flags targeted promotions, loyalty and bonus systems, auto-play, rapid spin mechanics and aggressive retargeting as features that prolong engagement and reduce users’ awareness of losses. The study urges regulated operators to move beyond advertising compliance and toward broader product governance with a consumer-harm focus, alongside enhanced financial controls and updated digital advertising rules.