According to The New York Times, Turkey's first casinos opened in the late 1960s (12 Feb. 1998), were legalized in either 1973 (Financial Times 9 Aug. 1997) or 1983 (AFP 10 Feb. 1998) and are now found throughout the country, with the largest numbers located in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, and Antalya (NYT 12 Feb. 1998; AFP 10 Feb. 1998). Casinos brought in approximately $1billion annually (NYT 12 Feb. 1998) and made up about one third of the country's tourism revenues (News & Record 9 Aug. 1997; AP 6 June 1997).

In 1996 the Welfare Party-led government began introducing restrictions on the men and women who frequented the country's casinos, banning food and drinks and dictating the clothing to be worn (Financial Times 9 Aug. 1997).

On 5 June 1997 in the "dying days" of the Islamic-led coalition government (AFP 10 Feb. 1998), Parliament voted to close Turkey's 76 or 79 casinos, in part as a response to public beliefs that gambling corrupts moral and social values, the problems of money laundering and tax evasion, and as a result of the mounting evidence that casinos "formed a vital link in the alliance of smugglers, killers, corrupt police officers and high Government officials" that make up part of the country's "hidden life" (AP 6 June 1997; NYT 12 Feb. 1998; AP 11 Feb. 1998; Xinhua 11 Feb. 1998). Although President Suleyman Demirel vetoed the bill for fear of the effects on the tourism industry (News & Record 9 Aug. 1997; Financial Times 9 Aug. 1997; AFP 10 Feb. 1998), the secular, center-right government that replaced the Islamic government over-rode that veto (News & Record 9 Aug. 1997; AP 11 Feb. 1998). The law was officially published on 10 August 1997 stating that 6 months later, all casino activities had to cease (Xinhua 11 Feb. 1998). A suit was filed by casino owners and managers against the bill, but the Constitutional Court rejected it on 21 January 1998 (NYT 12 Feb. 1998; Xinhua 11 Feb. 1998; AFP 10 Feb. 1998).

At midnight on 11 February 1998 the "era of casino gambling [in Turkey]" came to an end with the official closure of the country's casinos by special police units (NYT 12 Feb. 1998; Xinhua 11 Feb. 1998; AFP 10 Feb. 1998). Approximately 20,000 people lost their jobs as a result of the edict (Xinhua 11 Feb. 1998; AP 11 Feb. 1998; AFP 10 Feb. 1998). According to media reports, those involved in the casino business were speculating that the casinos' loss would be the travel agents' gain with gamblers probably heading to Turkish-Cyprus, where casinos are the only growth industry and where they have been reportedly "mushrooming" in anticipation of Turkey's casino-closure (AP 6 June 1997; Financial Times 9 Aug. 1997; AFP 10 Feb. 1998) or elsewhere (AP 11 Feb. 1998)