Turkish authorities are conducting a significant crackdown on illegal betting networks across eight provinces, revealing questionable financial transactions totaling 17.75 billion lira (approximately $365.8 million).
This operation followed investigations into financial activities linked to 177 suspects believed to be involved in operating illegal betting websites and facilitating the laundering of gambling money through Turkey’s financial system.
Coordinated raids took place in several cities, including Adıyaman, Konya, Manisa, Muğla, Tekirdağ, Siirt, Muş, and Çorum. The Ministry of the Interior emphasized that these individuals are suspected of managing unlicensed gambling activities, which is prohibited under Law No 7258 in Turkey.
Authorities employed various units for this operation, including cybercrime and anti-smuggling teams, along with the Financial Crimes Investigation Board and local district prosecutors.
Between 2006 and 2025, Turkish authorities reported blocking a total of 548,420 illegal betting and gambling websites, with 84,000 of those blocked in just 2025.
Deputy Interior Minister Ali Çelik stated that casinos, junkets, cryptocurrencies, and underground banking play crucial roles in the money laundering infrastructure that supports international organized crime, forecasting that the global gambling market is expected to reach $205 billion by 2030.
Mehmet Dinç, president of the Turkish Green Crescent Society, emphasized that addressing the issue of gambling requires more than just shutting down websites, stating, "In the fight against gambling, combating supply alone is not enough. Combating demand alone is not enough; merely shutting down websites is not enough. This is an ecosystem: it starts with advertisements and continues through social media, sporting activities, influencers, games, mobile applications, payment systems, loans, bets, losses, debt and continued betting."
The crackdown is part of a broader enforcement campaign that has been ramping up throughout 2026.
