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Turkish law enforcement agencies have launched a sweeping operation targeting illegal betting networks across eight provinces. It follows investigations that uncovered financial transactions linked to 177 suspects.
According to local reporting on Monday, the Interior Ministry confirmed that accounts connected with the suspects had exhibited suspicious financial activity amounting to 17.75 billion lira ($365.8 million).
Coordinated efforts between the government’s cybercrime and anti-smuggling units, the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) and local prosecutors led to raids in the provinces of Adıyaman, Konya, Manisa, Muğla, Tekirdağ, Siirt, Muş and Çorum.
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Other clubs that hold agreements with unlicensed operators include Chelsea (8XBet), Tottenham Hotspur (VSBet) and Nottingham Forest (FUN88).
Entain highlighted data from H2 Gambling Capital that warned black market stakes in the UK are expected to nearly double from £17 billion ($22.7 billion) in 2025 to over £33 billion by 2028.
Entain emphasised offshore operators do not employ the same player protection measures and anti-money laundering standards that licensed companies must.
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It finds that online gaming shows more documented terrorist financing activity than gambling, although proliferation financing risks remain limited across both sectors.
Cash, e-wallets, mobile money and virtual assets emerge as the payment methods most vulnerable to abuse. This is particularly true where operators use them to structure deposits below reporting thresholds.
Giles Thomson, FATF president, said unregulated sectors risk becoming “attractive gateways for fraudsters, professional money launderers and organised criminal networks”. He called on governments to strengthen oversight, crack down on illegal and offshore operators and deepen public-private cooperation.