What begins with a single click often evolves into an irreversible psychological and financial collapse. Online gambling platforms, operating through the promise of “easy money,” are increasingly triggering deep behavioral dependency, particularly among young people and economically vulnerable groups.
Over time, this dependency translates into economic ruin, domestic violence, family breakdown and social isolation, positioning online gambling as one of Türkiye’s most invisible yet most corrosive social threats.
Experts warn that, unlike substance addiction, online gambling rarely presents early physical symptoms. Individuals continue to attend work, live with their families and appear socially functional, while internally remaining entirely consumed by betting behavior.
This invisibility has allowed online gambling to evolve into what specialists now describe as an organized and digitally structured mechanism of societal harm.
On one side of the screen stands the promise of rapid financial gain. On the other lie fractured families, young people overwhelmed by debt, and a growing number of psychological breakdowns and suicide cases.
As digital gambling expands quietly through mobile applications and social media advertisements, addiction has ceased to be an individual problem and has become a systemic societal risk.
A comprehensive report prepared by Green Crescent (Yeşilay) sheds light on the scale of the crisis. Clinical Psychologist Ayhan Altaş emphasizes that betting addiction among young people is not driven solely by financial motives, but by deep-rooted emotional needs.
According to Altaş, the core impulse often reflects “the attempt of an unloved child to cling to an uncontrolled adulthood,” reinforced by the internal belief of “I succeeded, I can do this too.”
Data from the Yeşilay Counseling Center (YEDAM) reveal a consistent and alarming upward trend in gambling-related support requests.
In 2022, YEDAM received 3,006 applications linked to gambling addiction. This figure increased to 3,552 in 2023, then rose sharply to 4,798 in 2024, and reached 5,748 in 2025, marking one of the fastest-growing categories of addiction-related counseling in Türkiye.
The age distribution further highlights the depth of the issue. According to YEDAM data, 36.7% of individuals seeking help are between the ages of 20 and 30, while 43.4% fall within the 30-40 age group.
Another 15.4% are between 40 and 50 years old, demonstrating that addiction increasingly affects individuals during their most economically and socially productive years.
The data also indicate early exposure as a critical risk factor. Among those seeking counseling, 34.3% reported encountering gambling before the age of 18. Another 42.8% were introduced between the ages of 18 and 25, while 22.7% stated they began gambling after the age of 25.
Social environment emerges as the dominant catalyst. According to YEDAM, 57.4% of individuals began gambling due to the influence of friends.
Curiosity accounted for 20%, while 6.5% cited boredom or filling spare time as their primary motivation.
Experts note that peer normalization significantly reduces perceived risk, allowing gambling to appear as a harmless activity rather than a high-risk behavioral dependency.
Contrary to widespread assumptions, gambling addiction is not confined to lower education levels. YEDAM data show that 13% of applicants hold a master’s degree, while 11.3% are university graduates.
Specialists underline that education alone does not provide protection against addiction, particularly when emotional regulation, stress management, and social belonging needs remain unresolved.
The concentration of cases within the 20-40 age range signals a growing threat to Türkiye’s young and working-age population, with long-term implications for productivity, family stability, and public health.
Psychologist Tuğçe Betül Şenel describes clinical cases that demonstrate how deeply online gambling erodes an individual’s mental and emotional stability.
One university student sought professional help after developing an intense fear of being discovered by his family. He experienced a sharp decline in academic performance, withdrew from social life, and developed persistent feelings of guilt.
His initial exposure occurred within a friend group. Over time, the belief that “I am in control” transformed into a sense of helplessness expressed as “I cannot stop.”
According to Şenel, the fundamental drivers in such cases are the need for belonging and acceptance. She emphasizes that online gambling addiction is particularly dangerous due to its invisibility.
“Unlike substance addiction, early physical symptoms are rarely visible,” she explains. “Individuals can continue their daily routines and family lives, yet mentally remain completely occupied with betting. As the brain becomes conditioned to dopamine released by the possibility of winning, the compulsion intensifies.”
Clinical Psychologist Ayhan Altaş shares striking case studies illustrating how ordinary lives are gradually overtaken by addiction.
One such case involves Selim, a 34-year-old information technology specialist. Outwardly successful and family-oriented, he did not fit traditional stereotypes of gamblers.
His story did not begin with the pursuit of money, but with emotional withdrawal. During casual phone use, he encountered visually stimulating online games and initially engaged simply to distract himself.
The first winnings proved decisive. According to Altaş, the dopamine surge erased Selim’s accumulated stress and feelings of inadequacy. This psychological state, clinically referred to as “The Zone,” created a trance-like focus in which external reality faded entirely.
As Altaş explains, the recurring urge to gamble is not a rational decision-making process but a neurological distortion.
“The voice that says ‘you will win this time’ is not intuition,” he notes. “It is a symptom of the disorder itself.”
Following structured psychological treatment, Selim was eventually able to exit the cycle of dependency.
Altaş emphasizes that many addiction cases intensified during the pandemic period. Extended isolation, uncertainty, and emotional deprivation created fertile ground for behavioral addictions.
Individuals who began with sports betting often transitioned into late-night slot games accessed through mobile devices. Initial wins reinforced feelings of control and self-worth, while subsequent losses triggered compulsive attempts to recover financially and emotionally.
The consequences were severe: concealed debts, maxed-out credit cards, secret loans and persistent deception within families. Emotional distance deepened between spouses, while parental engagement diminished.
According to Altaş, online gambling is often misinterpreted as a financial problem when, in reality, it represents a deeper psychological struggle.
“In therapy,” he explains, “what we see is not a money issue, but the effort of an unloved child trying to survive an uncontrolled adulthood.”
Another case highlights the often-overlooked dimension of gambling addiction among women.
A 29-year-old single woman working in a corporate environment sought therapy due to chronic anxiety and nighttime restlessness. Despite her outwardly structured lifestyle, she described an internal pressure she could not escape.
“If I don’t do something, I feel like I will lose control,” she told her therapist.
Her introduction to online gambling occurred through a social media advertisement. Initial losses carried little emotional weight, but her first win triggered a powerful response.
“It felt as if someone finally said ‘well done’ to me,” she explained.
Experts note that gambling addiction among women is frequently underdiagnosed due to its silent and private nature. While less visible, its psychological depth is no less severe.
