Street vendors selling lottery tickets in İzmir say demand for the New Year draw has collapsed, blaming the rise of online gambling and the country’s economic crisis for what they describe as the worst period in the history of the business.
Turkey’s state lottery holds a large annual draw on December 31 with a single jackpot that many people used to follow closely. Street vendors sold tickets in every major city and relied on end-of-year sales to survive.
Many vendors say they expect to be left with unsold tickets even though the top prize this year is 800 million lira ($19 million).
Speaking to the T24 news website, vendors at İzmir’s Konak Square say demand this year is the lowest they have ever seen. They say people who once bought several tickets now walk past their stands or purchase the cheapest option.
A quarter ticket costs 200 lira, a half ticket 400 and a full ticket 800 lira. Vendors say most buyers are retirees and older adults who can afford only one quarter ticket because the cost of living has increased.
Paşa Çakmak, head of the İzmir Lottery and Games Vendors Association, told T24 that online gambling platforms have taken over the market. He said “Turkey turned into a casino” after the state lottery was privatized and digital games gained ground.
He said Konak Square once had about 30 licensed sellers and now has fewer than 10. He also said many vendors struggle to open their stands and may quit the business if sales continue to fall.
Çakmak said online gambling sites attract people with constant access and promotional bonuses. He said families now use retirement income to pay off gambling debts and no longer travel to casinos in northern Cyprus because online games are available everywhere.
Other sellers said supermarkets, kiosks and online outlets now sell lottery tickets, reducing the role of street vendors. They said some customers buy tickets in groups of two or three because a single ticket is too expensive.
One seller who has worked in the area for about 30 years said she has never seen demand this low. She said many tickets will likely remain unsold even with a top prize of 800 million lira.
Vendors say they do not expect a surge in sales before December 31. They fear unsold tickets will increase their losses and push more sellers out of the business.
