Opening giveaway permit in Türkiye: latest rules for prize draws and promotions
Do you need an opening giveaway permit in Türkiye? Yes. Any prize draw with goods as prizes, whether entry is paid or free, needs permission from the National Lottery Administration (Milli Piyango İdaresi). Since 2 February 2026, applications are accepted only online through cekilisevi.gov.tr. You apply at least 15 days before the campaign starts, and the draw takes place before a notary. Running a draw without a permit is a crime carrying 3 to 6 years in prison and a judicial fine.
Arrangements with a small prize per person, and gift campaigns with no draw, fall outside the regulation. In 2026 that limit works out to about TRY 1,339 in market value per person. On the advertising side, an amendment in force since 1 August 2026 brings a 10-day price rule to discount and conditional campaign ads, and an “ad” label requirement for influencer posts.
Who grants a permit for an opening draw, and how?
The National Lottery Administration grants the permit under the Regulation on Non-Cash Lotteries and Prize Draws. Its own page says anyone organising a goods lottery or prize draw, businesses included, needs one. Since 2 February 2026 every application goes through cekilisevi.gov.tr, where you register, upload documents and track progress on screen.
Applications are now online only
The petition, guarantee letter and undertaking are uploaded, and official letters arrive on the same platform. No postal delays in your calendar.
“I’ll do it on Instagram” does not change the rule
According to a January 2025 statement by the Ministry of Treasury and Finance, every goods lottery and prize draw, paid or free, needs a permit. So a “like, tag, win” post counts as a draw too. Instagram’s own promotion rules also leave legal compliance to the organiser.
When do you apply, and which documents are required?
Under the regulation, a complete application must be filed at least 15 days before the campaign starts. The draw is held before a notary, with a committee set up by the organiser. Results are published in a newspaper within 7 days and sent to the winners.
- The business’s identity and registry details.
- Campaign start, end and the region it covers.
- Terms of participation.
- The list of prizes and their market values.
- The day, time, place and format of the draw.
- Guarantee and fee payment receipt.
Prize claim period
The regulation sets the period for claiming prizes at no more than one year from the start of the campaign. State this period clearly in your terms.
Leave two weeks of slack
Fifteen days is the minimum, not the safe margin. An incomplete file can cost you opening day, so get it ready three weeks ahead.
How much does a permit cost?
There are three items: an application fee, a permit fee and a guarantee. A 2022 law change set the application fee at TRY 2,000, updated every year by the revaluation rate. The permit fee is 15% of the prizes’ market value, or 30% for imported prizes or prizes made by a third party. The guarantee is the total prize value plus 10%. You will see the current amounts on the application screen.
A worked example
Say you open a furniture store in Esenyurt and put a TRY 30,000 locally made sofa set into a draw. The permit fee at 15% is TRY 4,500, plus the application fee. The guarantee is TRY 33,000, a security rather than a payment. Notary and newspaper costs come on top.
The prize can cost the winner too
In 2026, TRY 66,935 of prize-draw winnings is exempt from inheritance and gift tax. Above that, tax comes into play; ask your accountant before setting the prize.
Which opening campaigns do not need a permit?
The most important exception is a campaign with no draw: a gift to everyone who meets a condition announced in advance is not a draw. Selection by jury, or by testing knowledge or skill, is also out of scope. And no permit is needed if the market value of the prize per person stays below 2% of the prize-draw exemption in the Inheritance and Gift Tax Law.
| Opening campaign | Is there a draw? | Permit |
|---|---|---|
| TV draw among opening-day visitors | Yes | Needed, at least 15 days ahead |
| “Like, tag, win” social media draw | Yes | Needed |
| Free coffee for the first 50 customers | No, fixed condition | Not needed; ad rules apply |
| Draw with a prize under about TRY 1,339 per person | Yes | Out of scope, confirm the limit in writing |
| Juried photo or recipe contest | No | Out of scope |
Gifts without a draw are simpler
A no-draw gift removes the permit burden, but not the advertising rules. You will find more ideas of this kind in grand opening campaign ideas.
What is the penalty for an unpermitted draw?
Organising a lottery or draw without the Administration’s permission is a crime carrying 3 to 6 years in prison and a judicial fine. According to the Ministry of Treasury and Finance’s January 2025 statement, the National Lottery Administration reported 286 unpermitted draws and applications to prosecutors in 2024. Unpermitted draws on social media are part of that follow-up.
A small prize, a big headache
An unpermitted draw for a phone can cause trouble before your shutters go up. Small prize: no-draw gift. Big prize: permitted draw.
Engagement is not the same as customers
Likes may never reach the till. We cover followers who never turn into sales in followers but no sales.
What has changed in advertising rules since 1 August 2026?
BU BÖLÜMÜN ÖZETİ
- Discount ads
- Conditional campaigns and influencers
- Review campaigns
The Ministry of Trade’s amendment to the Regulation on Commercial Advertising and Unfair Commercial Practices, published on 1 July 2026, took effect on 1 August 2026. Three points matter for an opening campaign: discount ads, conditional campaigns and influencer posts. Ads for unlicensed games of chance are now banned too.
Discount ads
The price before discount must be the lowest price applied in the 10 days before the discount starts. We discuss the risk of showing an “old price” in a new shop with no price history in do opening discounts work.
Conditional campaigns and influencers
Ads for campaigns that tie a benefit to a condition also fall under the discount ad rules. Influencers who receive payment or a benefit must label the post “reklam” (advertisement) or “tanıtım” (promotion).
Review campaigns
Consumer reviews whose purchase channel cannot be verified may not be published. Think twice before putting a “write a review, win a gift” idea into your opening plan.
What this means for you
For a new business: a big-prize draw needs a permit, time and money; a no-draw gift needs no permit but follows ad rules; an unpermitted draw carries criminal risk. The goal of your opening should be customers, not engagement. The full order of what to do before and after opening is in the new business promotion guide.
Finding customers without a draw
Reaching the right people with ads is simpler than staging a draw. Adapte’s Get Visible Online campaign sets up one of three recipes, Meta Ads, Google Ads or Website, for a fixed TRY 36,000 + VAT. The ad budget is not included. Fill in the needs form on the Get Visible Online campaign page.
Write campaign copy by the rules
If your ad copy says “discount”, “gift” or “win”, check the relevant rule before it runs. For the other promotion steps, see how to promote a new company.
Quick Summary
- A goods-prize opening draw needs a National Lottery Administration permit.
- Since 2 February 2026, applications go only through cekilisevi.gov.tr.
- Apply at least 15 days ahead; the draw is held before a notary.
- A no-draw gift with a fixed condition needs no permit.
- An unpermitted draw carries 3 to 6 years in prison and a judicial fine.
- Since 1 August 2026, discount ads follow a 10-day price rule.
Short Glossary
Market value: Market value is the valuation term used to state the usual selling price of an item in the market.
Guarantee: A guarantee is the letter or security given to the Administration to secure delivery of prizes to winners.
Conditional campaign: A conditional campaign is the sales technique used to tie a benefit to a specific purchase or action.
Next Step
Win customers with the right ads, not a draw. Apply to the Get Visible Online campaign and find the recipe that fits you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Source: National Lottery Administration (Milli Piyango İdaresi) — Prize draw permits
Sık Sorulan Sorular
The 2026 exemption for prize-draw winnings is TRY 66,935, and 2% of that is TRY 1,338.70. This is our own calculation; confirm the limit applied in practice with the Administration’s Betting and Games Department before you apply.
Yes. Every goods-prize draw, paid or free, needs a National Lottery Administration permit. Arrangements where the prize per person stays below the regulation’s limit are out of scope.
No. The TRY 36,000 + VAT package fee covers setup and 3 months of work. With the Google Ads or Meta Ads Recipe, the ad budget is paid separately to Google or Meta.
At least 15 days before the campaign starts, online through cekilisevi.gov.tr. Preparing three weeks ahead is safer in case of missing documents.
Updated: October 2026