Cemil Önal, the former finance chief and confidant of notorious Turkish-Cypriot gambling boss Halil Falyalı, was gunned down in the Netherlands just weeks after giving an explosive interview to Bugün Kıbrıs journalist Ayşemden Akın. In the interview, Önal had detailed the structure and political protection of one of the largest illegal betting networks connected to Turkey.
Önal, often described as the “cash man” behind Falyalı’s offshore betting empire, had reportedly begun cooperating with journalists and international investigators in recent months. His statements were among the most direct public confessions exposing how illegal gambling funds moved between Northern Cyprus, Turkey, and European financial hubs—often shielded by political alliances and opaque banking structures.
The interview, published in early 2025, caused ripples across both Turkish and Turkish-Cypriot media, as Önal laid out how Falyalı’s network allegedly used Malta and Curacao licenses, payment platforms like PayFix and Kassa, and white-label software providers including BetConstruct, to operate hundreds of betting domains targeting Turkey—despite the activity being illegal under Turkish law.
Önal was reportedly placed under informal protection in Europe, yet on 1st of May 2025, he was found fatally shot outside his hotel in the Dutch city of Lahey. Dutch authorities have not released full details of the investigation but are reportedly treating the incident as a targeted assassination.
An Empire That Kills to Stay Hidden
Falyalı himself was assassinated in February 2022 in Northern Cyprus, in a suspected gangland hit believed to be connected to rivalries within the gambling and money laundering underworld. Yet Önal’s murder now re-ignites questions over whether Falyalı’s empire ever truly collapsed—or simply changed hands.
According to Ayşemden Akın’s reporting, much of the gambling infrastructure once run by Falyalı remains operational under new figureheads, continuing to siphon tens of millions of dollars from the Turkish market each month. Platforms using BetConstruct’s technology reportedly continue to dominate traffic among Turkey-facing betting websites.
Political Protection and Silencing Dissent
Önal had claimed in his interview that several Turkish politicians—especially those affiliated with the ruling AKP—had long provided political immunity to the operation in exchange for financial support or political leverage. He also alleged bribes in the millions were regularly paid to secure regulatory blind spots, both in Turkey and in Northern Cyprus.
His murder marks yet another chilling chapter in Turkey’s underground betting industry, where whistleblowers, journalists, and even former insiders are silenced in the shadows of a billion-dollar industry.