As a part of an ongoing multi-year privatization program in Turkey, the National Lottery, Milli Piyango, will be sold off in 2003.
The new Turkish government, ruled by the Turkish Muslim AK Party, will alter the legislation to be able to tender the massive National Lottery.
Now the National Lottery Authority, attached to the office of the prime minister, is the sole body in Turkey authorized to organize lotteries. The national lottery had its functions redefined by Law-decree 320 in 1986. Under the present legislation the national lottery is also entitled to create and organize, on its own behalf, pari-mutuels and games of chance. It is furthermore authorized, subject to the permission of the prime minister, to organize lotteries abroad.
At this moment the national lottery is an operator as well as the regulating body. Its board is empowered to give out licenses and inspects all lottery activities in Turkey.
The organization is a juridical entity with a private budget and is subject to the special laws and falls under the inspection of "Basbakanlik Yuksek Denetleme Kurulu" (Higher Inspection Organ of Prime Ministry) and the TBMM (Turkish Parliament House).
Milli Piyango - Key Financials in Milliard Turkish Lires of 2001 (2000):
Net Profit: 86,655 (57,615)
Good Causes: 272,847 (185,363)
Prize Money: 220.423 (142,289)
GOP: 98,363 (63,860)
1 Turkish Lira = 0.00000061 US Dollar
Population: 67 million
Population Growth Rate:1.28 percent
Products:
Milli Piyango - A plain lottery with draws on every ninth, 19th and 29th of each month. Extra lotteries may also be organized on other days and dates, for instance the New Year Lottery on December 31st. After one year the lottery ticket is expired.
Hemen - Kazan (Win Now) - A simple scratch-card lottery.
Labirent (Labyrinth) - A "game-on-card" content scratch card. The Piyango street vendor, who you may run into at every street corner, gets a packet of 500 cards including winning tickets. The winning tickets can also be paid by the street seller. For higher prizes one has to go to a Milli Piyango Service Point.
Sayisal Loto (Number Lotto) A turning sphere draw with balls with numbers 1-49. Three to six correct numbers earns a prize. The draw, every Saturday evening, is part of a spectacular TV entertainment show on the TRT State Television between 9 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. If no one has six correct numbers, the grand prize is added to the next week's draw. This can happen three times in a row. If the fourth draw is again without a winner with six correct balls, then that prize money is added and divided to the winners with five correct numbers.
Sans Topu (Chance Ball) - A five-plus-one game with a two set spheres. In one sphere are the numbers 1-34 (five balls are drawn from that sphere) and from the other sphere, containing balls numbered 1-14, one ball will be drawn. The chance of winning is one in 3,895,584. The draw takes place every Wednesday night on a live entertainment program broadcast by TRT, the state broadcaster.
Sales Outlets
In 2000, 8,691 vendors were selling Piyango and scratch cards, and Sayisal Loto was sold by 3,947 sales outlets.
Casinos
The new Turkish government is seriously considering re-introducing several state-owned casinos in special tourism areas. The operating of casinos in Turkey was stopped after the changes of Law No. 4302, which included the halting of all casino activities within half a year after publishing that law in the Resmi Gazete on August 10, 1997.