05.03.2025 13:30
The Competition Authority has decided to impose an administrative fine of approximately 13 million lira on Mackolik Internet Services Inc. for two separate violations.
In a statement published on the website of the Competition Authority, it was reminded that an investigation was opened to determine whether the company operating in the field of online sports content violated the Law on the Protection of Competition by abusing its dominant position through discrimination in the online video advertising and referral services market, as well as the advertising sales and marketing contracts signed with advertising agencies regarding the use of advertising spaces on its mobile applications and websites.
A TOTAL OF 13 MILLION LIRA FINE
In the statement indicating that the company violated the Law by imposing customer restrictions on advertising agencies that are its buyers under the advertising and service sales contract, it was reported that an administrative fine of 7 million 422 thousand 998 lira was imposed on the company. The statement noted that the company abused its dominant position by discriminating against businesses operating in the online fixed-odds betting games sector in the online video advertising and referral services market, and an administrative fine of 5 million 567 thousand 248 lira was also imposed in this context. Thus, it was reported that the company was fined approximately 13 million lira for two separate violations.
The statement used the following expressions regarding the obligations imposed on the company by the Competition Board, considering the structure of the relevant market: "Mackolik is required to follow a transparent advertising policy that does not lead to discrimination against businesses operating in the online fixed-odds betting games market in the advertising spaces on its platforms and to provide rotational display in advertising spaces in a way that does not give these businesses a privileged position against their competitors. It is also required to follow a transparent policy in the referral areas related to sports betting on its platforms that does not lead to discrimination against businesses operating in the online fixed-odds betting games market and to establish a system for the rotational ranking of displays of businesses operating in the online fixed-odds betting games market in referrals related to the said betting odds without giving any business preferential treatment."