Türkiye has blocked 47,493 illegal betting websites and detained 5,629 suspects in 680 operations since the start of 2026. Authorities are increasingly following the payment infrastructure behind the sites, with recent investigations targeting thousands of bank accounts and crypto wallets allegedly used to move betting proceeds.
Key Takeaways
Türkiye blocked 47,493 betting sites and detained 5,629 suspects in 2026.One Istanbul probe tied $4B in transfers to crypto wallets and match-fixing.Prosecutors froze 6,314 bank accounts as the World Cup final kicked off.Cybercrime units are conducting round-the-clock patrols of illegal betting sites, social media advertisements and digital connections to payment systems. Investigators are also tracing bank accounts, electronic-money services and cryptoasset accounts suspected of helping operators collect wagers or transfer criminal proceeds.
Prosecutors alleged that the organization recruited people between 20 and 30 years old with no regular income or commercial activity, sent periodic deposits of about $2,080 (TL100,000) into their accounts and used them as betting “pool accounts” in exchange for a 1% commission. Even the lowest-volume suspect showed roughly $1.9 million (TL90 million) in account traffic. Authorities detained 80 suspects across 24 provinces and seized 11 companies, 45 vehicles, 16 homes and 11 plots of land worth about $7.3 million (TL350 million).
