Türkiye hails major operation against illegal gambling
Some 117 suspects are alleged to have operated illegal online gambling.
Türkiye.- The Interior Ministry has claimed a major advance against illegal gambling in Türkiye. It says raids were conducted in the provinces of Adıyaman, Konya, Manisa, Muğla, Tekirdağ, Siirt, Muş and Çorum. Financial transactions worth TL17.75bn (€316.5m) were flagged in bank accounts linked to 177 suspects.
The operation was conducted through joint efforts involving cybercrime and anti-smuggling units, the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) and local prosecutors. Authorities allege that the suspects were involved in operating unlicensed betting websites and helping channel gambling proceeds through Türkiye’s financial system.
The Interior Ministry said its campaign against online illegal gambling would continue as part of efforts to stop criminal revenue entering the economy through banking networks and payment systems. Under Türkiye’s Law No. 7258, operating gambling activities without a licence is a criminal offence. Cases involving illegal betting are frequently accompanied by money laundering and fraud allegations, increasing the potential penalties faced by those convicted.
The latest enforcement action is the latest in a series of measures introduced by Türkiye during 2026 to combat illegal betting. Earlier this year, Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi described illegal betting as a “scourge that corrupts society” and signalled that the government would take a tougher approach to enforcement.
Çiftçi argued that the expansion of digital payment systems and cryptocurrencies had helped turn illegal betting into a significant vehicle for laundering criminal funds. “Casinos, junkets, cryptocurrencies and underground banking are the most critical parts of the money laundering infrastructure that fuels international organised crime,” he said at the time. “The global gambling market will reach $205 billion in 2030.”
