Turkey Targets Illegal Betting Networks as Accounts Show TRY 17.75bn in Transactions

Turkish authorities have launched action against 177 suspects as part of a coordinated illegal betting investigation spanning eight provinces. Financial reviews conducted by Turkey’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board, known as MASAK, identified a combined TRY 17.75 billion in account activity linked to the suspects.

The operation is part of a broader shift in Turkey’s approach to illegal betting, with authorities placing greater emphasis on payment flows, bank accounts and financial intermediaries rather than focusing solely on blocking gambling websites. Recent government statements have also brought enforcement, financial controls, advertising restrictions and gambling addiction under the same policy framework.

Authorities Target 177 Suspects Across Eight Provinces

The operation, announced on 14 September, was coordinated across Adıyaman, Çorum, Konya, Manisa, Muş, Muğla, Siirt and Tekirdağ.

Turkey’s Gendarmerie General Command, including its Anti-Smuggling and Organised Crime and Cybercrime departments, worked alongside MASAK, public prosecutors and provincial gendarmerie units.

Investigators allege that suspects were involved in operating illegal betting websites, facilitating betting-related money transfers and moving proceeds believed to have originated from illegal gambling activities through the financial system. Authorities also seized a large volume of digital material during the raids.

MASAK’s review found approximately TRY 17.75 billion in financial activity across the suspects’ bank accounts. The figure refers to transaction activity identified during the investigation rather than the value of assets seized or a confirmed calculation of criminal proceeds.

Financial Tracking Moves to the Centre of Enforcement

Turkey’s recent investigations show that the financial infrastructure behind illegal betting is becoming a major enforcement priority.

Websites can continue operating by switching domains after access restrictions are imposed, but payments from players and transfers between accounts leave a financial trail. Investigators are therefore increasingly examining bank accounts, electronic payment services, cryptocurrency accounts and accounts held in the names of third parties.

MASAK president Hasan Kaymak said in September that illegal betting networks can recruit young people experiencing financial or psychological difficulties by offering cash or expensive products in exchange for access to their accounts or participation in the payment chain.

A separate investigation centred in Kahramanmaraş illustrated how these structures can operate. Authorities alleged that third-party bank and cryptocurrency accounts had been made available to betting websites, while some transfers to companies were recorded with descriptions referring to gold purchases.

That investigation identified close to TRY 20 billion in transaction volume. Authorities also seized or restricted assets worth around TRY 150 million, including property, vehicles, bank accounts and cryptocurrency holdings. Of the 77 suspects detained, 67 were later remanded in custody.

More Than 800 Operations Recorded in 2026

The latest enforcement action comes during a significant increase in illegal betting investigations across Turkey.

Deputy Interior Minister Ali Çelik said that during the first eight months of 2026, authorities dismantled close to 40 organised illegal betting structures whose financial transactions were estimated at roughly TRY 60 billion.

Çelik also said the number of enforcement operations exceeded 800 during the same period, compared with an annual average of around 250 over the previous five years.

Part of the 14 September investigation also progressed separately in Muş. In an operation covering Muş and five other provinces, authorities detained 17 suspects whose accounts showed approximately TRY 2.03 billion in transaction activity. Sixteen were subsequently remanded in custody, while one was released under judicial supervision.

Illegal Betting Is Also Being Addressed as an Addiction Issue

The enforcement campaign is running alongside a broader government effort to address the demand side of gambling.

On 9 September, Turkey’s Directorate of Communications hosted a panel titled “Stop Addiction: Combating Illegal Betting and Gambling Addiction”, bringing together representatives from government institutions, financial regulators and addiction specialists. Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz was among the senior officials attending.

The discussions treated illegal betting as an issue involving not only policing and financial crime, but also public health, education, digital media and advertising.

Deputy Interior Minister Çelik described the government’s strategy in terms of supply and demand. Law-enforcement operations are intended to disrupt illegal operators and payment networks, while addiction-prevention policies are aimed at reducing the pool of people entering or repeatedly using those systems.

Yeşilay, the Turkish Green Crescent organisation working on addiction prevention and treatment, has also highlighted the wider ecosystem around gambling. Its president, Mehmet Dinç, pointed to the role of advertising, social media, influencers, sports content, mobile applications, payment systems and access to credit in shaping gambling behaviour.

Turkey Expands Its Illegal Betting Strategy

The latest operations illustrate how Turkey’s enforcement model is expanding beyond website blocking.

Authorities are increasingly following the movement of money behind illegal betting operations, looking at who controls payment accounts, how funds are transferred and whether criminal proceeds are being moved into the wider financial system.

At the same time, advertising exposure, digital promotion and gambling addiction are being addressed alongside financial and criminal investigations.

The result is a more coordinated enforcement structure in which financial intelligence, cybercrime investigations, payment monitoring, access restrictions and addiction policy are becoming interconnected parts of Turkey’s response to illegal betting.