Turkey Widens Illegal Betting and Match-Fixing Crackdown with Fresh Detention Orders

Turkey’s sweeping investigation into illegal betting and alleged match-fixing within professional football has intensified further, with authorities expanding the scope of enforcement to include additional players, referees and football officials.

On Friday, prosecutors issued detention orders for 29 more individuals as part of the widening probe into unlicensed gambling activities and integrity breaches. Turkish media outlets, including broadcaster NTV, reported that those targeted include a former executive of Galatasaray.

Official statements confirmed that at least 24 suspects were taken into custody, while four individuals remain at large and one was already being held. Among those implicated are 14 professional league players, along with six people accused of involvement in suspicious betting patterns linked to an October 2024 Super Lig match.

These latest detentions come on the heels of unprecedented disciplinary action by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF), which has dramatically escalated its internal response to alleged betting violations. The federation has already suspended 149 referees and assistant referees over claims of illegal gambling activity. In addition, more than 1,024 players from across all professional divisions have been referred to the Professional Football Disciplinary Board (PFDK) for further investigation.

Earlier disciplinary rulings stemming from the integrity campaign resulted in sanctions ranging from 45-day suspensions to one-year bans for hundreds of players, underscoring the scale of the alleged violations and the authorities’ determination to enforce compliance.

The criminal investigation is being led by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and has expanded rapidly since late October.

At that time, TFF president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu revealed that 371 of the country’s 571 active referees held betting accounts, with 152 of them actively gambling on matches. His disclosure marked a turning point in the crackdown and paved the way for broader enforcement across Turkish football.

Political pressure has also increased. Earlier this month, President Recep Erdogan publicly called for tougher measures to combat illegal betting and online gambling. His directive includes freezing bank accounts connected to unlicensed operators, criminalising the promotion of betting on social media platforms, and introducing harsher penalties for individuals and organisations involved in running or facilitating illegal gambling activities.

As investigations continue to widen, the latest developments highlight Turkey’s increasingly aggressive stance against unlawful betting practices and efforts to restore integrity within its football system.

By fLEXI tEAM