Over 1,000 Players Suspended in Turkish Soccer Betting Crackdown

• Gambling News
• 12 November 2025

Following the Turkish Football Federation's (TFF) announcement on Monday that 1,024 players had been punished for betting offenses, the controversy surrounding Turkish soccer intensified.

Among them are 27 players who play for teams in Turkey's top division, the Super Lig, including two at the defending champion Besiktas.

Embroiled in Elmani

The most well-known of the suspended players is Galatasaray defender Eren Elmali, a Turkey international who has made four appearances for his team in the Champions League this season.

"I want to make it clear that the reason my name appears in this file is because, about five years ago, a bet was placed on a match involving my former team, without my knowledge or involvement,” Elmali wrote on Instagram. “Since that day, I have had no connection whatsoever to betting or this issue.”

Claiming that accounts had been made in their names without their knowledge, a number of other players similarly defended themselves.

Gambling References

The action comes after it was revealed last week that 149 referees had been suspended by the federation for actively betting on games in breach of FIFA, UEFA, and TFF regulations. There are still three referees under investigation.

Ten referees each had wagered more than 10,000, and one had wagered an astounding 18,227, according to the TFF.

In Turkey's top two divisions, there were seven referees and fifteen assistant referees who were actively placing bets. According to the TFF, several wagered on games they officiated.

Reuters revealed on Friday that 21 individuals, including a club chairman and 17 referees, had been placed under arrest by Turkish authorities.

The Istanbul Prosecutor's Office has been conducting a criminal investigation into possible game manipulation since April, even though neither the players nor the officials are currently charged with match-fixing.

In addition to lifetime bans from the sport, those found guilty of match-fixing could be sentenced to 1.5 to 4.5 years in prison.

"Clean Up the Filth"

It's time to drain the swamp, according to TFF president İbrahim Hacıosmanoglu. He stated at a press conference two weeks ago, "Our duty is to elevate Turkish soccer to its rightful place and to purge it of all its filth."

The state-run company, İddaa, is the sole permitted sports betting provider in Turkey. It is strictly forbidden for Turkish citizens to use unauthorized overseas betting sites, and doing so may result in legal repercussions. Whether the players and referees used illicit offshore websites or İddaa to place their wagers is yet unknown.

According to the TFF, it plans to increase monitoring by putting in place a system to monitor the financial activities of referees and by permanently banning anyone discovered to have placed bets on athletic events.