Turkey Intensifies Crackdown on Illegal Gambling
Turkish authorities have intensified their nationwide crackdown on illegal gambling operations, carrying out large-scale coordinated raids targeting sports betting syndicates across multiple provinces. Law enforcement agencies executed more than 400 arrest warrants, leading to the detention of 233 individuals, while investigators uncovered a financial network alleged to have processed over TL18 billion (US$395 million) in illegal proceeds.
The operations form part of Turkey’s broader strategy to disrupt unlicensed gambling networks and the payment systems supporting them.
Major operations launched in Antalya and Mersin
According to Justice Minister Akın Gürlek, the investigations were based on months of technical surveillance and intelligence work.
In one of the operations, coordinated by the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, 139 police teams conducted simultaneous raids across 20 provinces. Authorities targeted 183 suspects accused of facilitating transactions linked to illegal betting activities totaling more than TL11.3 billion (US$248 million).
At the same time, a separate operation led by the gendarmerie and the Mersin Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office focused on an organized group accused of laundering funds connected to overseas betting platforms. Fifty people were arrested during the investigation, while authorities seized luxury vehicles, residential properties and additional assets allegedly connected to criminal activity.
“No criminal group is above justice” Gürlek stated, adding that the operations were aimed at protecting economic security and public welfare.
Broader investigations reveal institutional concerns
The latest enforcement measures followed an earlier investigation in Adana involving allegations of aggravated fraud, bribery, money laundering and illegal betting activities. The case included around 200 detention warrants and resulted in the arrest of several suspects, including media commentator Rasim Ozan Kütahyalı and alleged syndicate leader Selahattin Akın Uzun.
Investigators also targeted professionals accused of assisting illicit financial operations, including bank executives, police officers and lawyers. Authorities seized 221 properties, 120 vehicles and three boats during the investigation, while trustees were appointed to manage several private companies.
Turkey also recently carried out another Istanbul-based operation in which police detained 108 people across 35 provinces and blocked access to more than 5,000 domains linked to unauthorized gambling, illegal advertising and payment processing services.
Turkey continues post-FATF enforcement push
The pace of the recent enforcement activity reflects Turkey’s continued focus on combating financial crime after its removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list in June 2024.
The country had previously been added to the list in 2021 due to concerns surrounding anti-money laundering controls and regulatory oversight. Since then, Turkish authorities have strengthened financial monitoring systems and expanded enforcement actions targeting illegal gambling and related financial networks.
According to the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK), authorities recently completed 502 investigations linked to illegal betting activities and submitted 545 intelligence reports to prosecutors. MASAK also froze approximately TL5.1 billion (US$131 million) connected to accounts allegedly used for illegal gambling transactions.
Turkish authorities continue to increase oversight of banking systems, digital wallets and payment methods as part of efforts to limit unregulated gambling operations and cross-border financial activity.
