Turkey’s iGaming crackdown continues: raids across 12 provinces, 20 more detained, and more than 1,000 since September

Turkey’s operation against offshore iGaming operators is still moving, and it is no longer limited to payment people. The latest raids reached C-level executives and support staff, which matters for PSPs because the dragnet is now broad enough to catch anyone sitting anywhere near the flow of money or operations.

1. Two days ago, Turkish authorities carried out another raid across 32 addresses in 12 provinces. In the official police and prosecutor briefings, the offshore iGaming brands named in connection with that operation were Grandpashabet, Ramadabet, Merit Royalbet, Superbet, Maxwin, Asusbet, Venombet, Verabet, and Mersobahis.
2. This time the detentions were not limited to people linked to payments. Turkish authorities also detained C-level executives and support staff, which is the part operators and their vendors tend to underestimate until the phones are seized and the chat history becomes evidence.
3. Yesterday, authorities detained another 20 people. Twelve were remanded in pre-trial detention, while the rest were placed under “judicial control” and left at liberty for now. In practical terms, that is a form of court supervision, not a clean exit.
4. According to the report, the number of people detained or arrested in Turkey has now exceeded 1,000 since the full-scale operation against offshore iGaming operators began in September.
5. The expected legal pattern is broader than illegal gambling alone. Turkish authorities are likely to add money laundering and membership in a criminal organization to the file, and the article specifically points to Etkin pişmanlık, Turkey’s “effective remorse” mechanism, under which the first person to cooperate can receive up to a 75% sentence reduction and, in some circumstances, avoid custody altogether.

The enforcement playbook is also straightforward: authorities seize computers and mobile phones, then inspect messengers, chats, and social media. With more than 1,000 people already tied to the campaign, any conference photo, phone contact, or uncleared conversation can become part of a much larger network map.

For people connected to offshore iGaming businesses targeting Turkey, the stated guidance remains unchanged: do not visit Turkey, do not use Turkish international airports for transit, and do not visit the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, where the article says cooperation with Turkish law enforcement is complete and information exchange runs 24/7.