Galatasaray Executive Eray Yazgan Sentenced in Betting Case

Galatasaray General Secretary Eray Yazgan has been sentenced to 10 months in prison and a TRY 2,000 (approx. $50) judicial fine in a case tied to Meritking.news advertising that prosecutors said amounted to promoting illegal betting. The Istanbul 25th Criminal Court of First Instance applied deferred announcement of the verdict (HAGB), meaning the ruling will not be enforced immediately and will only take effect if the legal conditions of the probation period are violated.

How the Meritking.news Sponsorship Became a Criminal Case?

The case stems from a league match in September 2024 when Meritking.news branding appeared both on stadium advertising boards and on the back of Galatasaray shirts during the game against Çaykur Rizespor. Prosecutors argued that, despite being presented as a news outlet, the platform functioned as a channel that directed users toward offshore betting services, and that the visibility provided through match-day advertising encouraged unlawful betting activity.

In the indictment, prosecutors relied on Turkey’s Law No. 7258 on illegal betting and games of chance, seeking criminal penalties on the grounds that the sponsorship and related promotional materials constituted betting promotion.

What the Court Decided?

The court ultimately handed down a sentence of 10 months’ imprisonment and a TRY 2,000 fine. However, by issuing a HAGB decision, the court effectively suspended enforcement of the conviction. In practical terms, Yazgan will not go to prison at this stage, and the judgment remains conditional on compliance throughout the court-ordered probation period.

Yazgan’s Defense and Galatasaray’s Actions

In his statement to the court, Yazgan said the agreement had been signed on behalf of the club and related entities, and that Meritking.news was introduced to them as a news platform rather than an illegal betting operation. He maintained that, at the time of signing, they did not have concrete, official information indicating the platform was tied to illegal betting.

Galatasaray’s position has been that the club took steps once concerns were raised: it sought guidance through football authorities, then removed the advertising, and later terminated the sponsorship contract.

Meritking.news Network, Brand Rights, and International Reach

Case assessments and public statements tied to the matter noted that Meritking.news operated with the appearance of a media site while being used in a way that supported the visibility of illegal betting-related activity. Authorities viewed the “news portal” structure as a method to circumvent restrictions on betting advertisements.

Separately, Net Holding—which holds the rights to the Merit brand—announced that an international domain-name dispute process concluded with a decision to transfer the Meritking.news domain to Net Holding under established domain dispute procedures (UDRP/WIPO). The company also pointed to scrutiny affecting multiple jurisdictions.

The platform’s reach extended beyond Turkey, with records highlighting visibility in Italy and other markets. In Italy, some clubs revised or paused arrangements linked to the platform—reported examples included Parma suspending the relationship and Torino removing partnership references.

After Meritking.news was taken offline in this context, its promotional network was replaced by Kingroyal.media.