Turkey blocks 6,314 bank accounts in pre‑World Cup illegal‑betting crackdown

Justice Minister Akın Gürlek announced that, ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, Turkish authorities identified 6,314 bank accounts used to facilitate illegal betting. Simultaneous letters were sent to banks, ordering an instant block of all identified accounts as the match began.

The operation, coordinated by the Justice Ministry, Interior Ministry, Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office and cyber‑crime police units, also uncovered 19 external finance entities linked to the betting networks and launched investigations against 23 suspects. The crackdown is part of the national “Sanal Ortamda Yasa Dışı Bahis, Şans Oyunları ve Kumarla Mücadele Eylem Planı” and involved simultaneous raids in multiple provinces.

Authorities emphasised that the illegal‑betting and virtual‑gambling traffic expected around the final would be disrupted, and that any further attempts to exploit state mechanisms for gambling profits would be met with swift legal action.