Türkiye flags TL17.75bn in accounts linked to illegal online gambling probe

Türkiye’s Interior Ministry says a coordinated operation has targeted illegal online gambling across eight provinces, with bank transactions worth TL17.75bn (€316.5m) flagged in accounts linked to 177 suspects. For PSPs, acquirers and banks, the point is simple: the case is being framed around payment rails, not just gambling sites.

1. Raids were carried out in Adıyaman, Konya, Manisa, Muğla, Tekirdağ, Siirt, Muş and Çorum. Authorities allege that 117 suspects operated illegal online gambling, while 177 suspects were linked to bank accounts that showed financial transactions worth TL17.75bn (€316.5m).
2. The operation brought together cybercrime and anti-smuggling units, the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) and local prosecutors. According to the Interior Ministry, the suspects were involved in running unlicensed betting websites and helping route gambling proceeds through Türkiye’s financial system.
3. Türkiye’s Interior Ministry said the campaign against online illegal gambling will continue as part of efforts to stop criminal revenue entering the economy through banking networks and payment systems. Under Law No. 7258, operating gambling activities without a licence is a criminal offence.
4. The ministry also said illegal betting cases are frequently accompanied by money laundering and fraud allegations, which can increase penalties for those convicted. That matters for payment providers because the enforcement focus is not limited to operator platforms; it extends to the flow of funds.
5. This is the latest in a series of measures Türkiye has taken during 2026 against illegal betting. Earlier this year, Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi said illegal betting was a “scourge that corrupts society” and linked its growth to digital payment systems and cryptocurrencies, which he said had helped turn it into a vehicle for laundering criminal funds.

Çiftçi also said: “Casinos, junkets, cryptocurrencies and underground banking are the most critical parts of the money laundering infrastructure that fuels international organised crime.” He added that “The global gambling market will reach $205 billion in 2030.”