3.6 Billion₺ Illegal Betting Operation in Istanbul Leads to 15 Arrests

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has announced a major crackdown on illegal online betting operations, revealing a money trail exceeding ₺3.66 billion and confirming that 15 of 24 suspects have been detained.

According to the official statement, the investigation was carried out under Turkey’s Law No. 7258 on the Regulation of Betting and Games of Chance in Football and Other Sports Competitions. Authorities determined that, throughout 2023, funds were transferred via the illegal gambling website “www.paribahis849.com.”

Financial analysis revealed that 807 separate transactions were used to channel roughly ₺1.2 billion, while the total amount linked to the operation reached ₺3.66 billion.

💰 Investigation Details

The operation was coordinated by the Cybercrimes Department of the Istanbul Provincial Gendarmerie Command, under the supervision of the Cybercrimes Investigation Bureau of the Prosecutor’s Office.
The investigation involved data shared by MASAK (Financial Crimes Investigation Board) and several licensed financial technology firms — Paribu Technoloji A.Ş., BN Technoloji A.Ş. (Binance TR), D Elektronik Şans Oyunları ve Yayıncılık A.Ş. (Nesine) and Papara Elektronik Para A.Ş.

The findings showed two organized groups operating jointly in the illegal betting scheme:

• The first group (14 individuals) conducted transactions worth ₺2.48 billion.
• The second group (9 individuals) carried out ₺785 million in transactions.
• An additional suspect handled ₺394 million independently.

Authorities emphasized that many of those involved were young adults in their twenties, and warned that illegal betting posed both economic and social risks for Turkey.

⚖️ Arrests and Seizures

Following warrants issued by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, 15 suspects were detained in coordinated raids across the city.

Digital evidence, financial documents and electronic devices were seized, while efforts to locate the remaining nine suspects are ongoing.

Officials stressed that the government’s crackdown on illegal gambling and online betting “will continue without interruption,” underscoring the scale of the tax losses and the risk of money-laundering linked to unlicensed operations.

🗣️ Company Statements

Following media reports referencing several licensed payment and technology providers, both Paribu and Nesine issued clarifications denying any direct involvement in the investigation.

Paribu Technoloji A.Ş. stated:

“The reports published on 21 October 2025 do not reflect the truth. No operation has been conducted against Paribu or its subsidiaries. We continue our activities in full compliance with the Capital Markets Law and relevant regulations, in cooperation with public authorities. Legal action will be taken against false and defamatory claims.”

Nesine.com also released a statement emphasizing that neither the company nor its employees were under investigation:

“Contrary to what was claimed, there is no investigation or operation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office against our company. Neither our management nor our staff are suspects in the case. This is clearly confirmed in the Prosecutor’s official statement.”

🔍 Broader Context

Turkey has intensified its nationwide efforts to combat illegal online betting networks, which authorities say generate vast unregistered revenue streams and contribute to money-laundering and tax evasion.

The Istanbul operation, uncovering over ₺3.6 billion in unlawful transactions, once again highlights the growing threat of underground betting networks exploiting digital finance systems.