Turkey has moved to freeze 6,314 bank accounts allegedly used to process illegal bets as the 2026 FIFA World Cup final began Sunday, while police detained 16 people in an investigation into a network accused of handling betting payments.
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said investigators had identified the accounts before the match and sent instructions to 32 banks to freeze them simultaneously when the final began, a period expected to generate particularly heavy betting activity.
The operation was coordinated by the Illegal Betting and Sports Crimes Investigation Bureau, a specialized unit established in the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in June.
Gürlek said investigators had also identified 19 locations described as “external finance houses” that allegedly served as payment-processing centers for illegal betting websites.
The locations were allegedly used to collect betting proceeds, manage bank accounts and cards and transfer money between accounts linked to the betting platforms.
Prosecutors launched proceedings against 23 suspects allegedly connected to the network. Police detained 16 of them during raids at the 19 locations, while efforts to locate the remaining seven continued.
The prosecutor’s office said the cybercrime police identified the accounts through technical analysis, field intelligence and an artificial intelligence-assisted system known as AVCI.
The accounts, in the names of various individuals across 32 banks, were allegedly used to receive and transfer money linked to illegal betting. Prosecutors said delaying the freeze until the final began allowed investigators to monitor the network before blocking transfers during the anticipated peak in activity.
According to figures cited by the prosecutor’s office, illegal bets placed during the 2022 FIFA World Cup totaled an estimated $35 billion. Prosecutors estimated that the figure for the 2026 tournament could reach $50 billion but did not identify the source or methodology behind the projections.
Gambling is tightly restricted in Turkey, where only state-authorized betting and lottery activities are permitted. Illegal betting networks increasingly rely on online platforms, payment intermediaries, bank accounts registered to third parties and cryptocurrency transfers, according to investigators.
The latest operation comes amid a wider crackdown on illegal betting and alleged corruption in Turkish football.
The scandal emerged in October 2025 after the Turkish Football Federation began investigating allegations of widespread betting by referees. It subsequently expanded to players, club executives and other football officials, with hundreds referred to disciplinary boards and dozens facing criminal investigations.
In a separate operation on Friday, police detained 17 club officials, including executives from İstanbul clubs Galatasaray and Beşiktaş, over allegations that they placed bets while holding official positions.
The İstanbul prosecutor’s office said its investigation into the bank accounts and suspected payment centers was continuing.