TFF betting scandal escalates as 30 match observers suspended and prosecutors widen probe

Turkey’s illegal betting investigation has entered a new phase, with the Turkish Football Federation imposing precautionary suspensions on 30 match observers while prosecutors extend a criminal probe that now reaches senior officials and active players.

The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has referred 30 match observers to its Professional Football Discipline Board (PFDK) with immediate precautionary suspensions, after internal investigations found that they had placed bets on football matches in breach of integrity rules. Five of the suspended officials come from the elite “Upper Class” group usually assigned to top-tier fixtures, while the remaining 25 cover standard observer categories across the professional leagues. The action was announced on 25 December 2025 and is based on Article 57 of the TFF Football Discipline Instruction, which prohibits all football stakeholders from betting on matches.

In parallel, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has deepened its criminal investigation into illegal betting linked to professional football. On 26 December, prosecutors ordered the detention of 29 suspects, including 14 players, with raids carried out in 11 provinces. Those detained include former Galatasaray executive Erden Timur, TFF official Buğra Cem İmamoğulları and Eyüpspor director Fatih Kulaksız. Investigators say the latest warrants are grounded in reports from the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK), betting-site data, PFDK decisions, phone records and digital evidence seized in earlier operations.

Prosecutors allege that several suspects placed bets designed to influence the result of the October 26, 2024 Süper Lig match between Kasımpaşa and Samsunspor, and say 14 players have been identified as betting against their own teams – behaviour described as directly capable of affecting match outcomes. Seven suspects are also accused of engaging in suspicious financial transactions tied to a previously jailed figure at the centre of the case.

These latest steps build on revelations from late October, when TFF president İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu disclosed that an internal review found 371 of 571 active professional referees holding betting accounts, with 152 actively placing bets, triggering a wave of disciplinary actions. Since then, the federation has suspended 149 referees and assistants, while prosecutors have ordered the detention of 46 individuals – including Super Lig players and club presidents – and a court has jailed 20 of them pending trial. In total, 1,024 players have been referred for disciplinary review as part of the wider crackdown.

For Turkey’s licensed betting market and its integrity partners, the message is stark: enforcement is now targeting the entire ecosystem around professional football, from match officials and observers to administrators and players. With proceedings running under laws covering match manipulation, illegal betting and money laundering, sanctions could range from multi-year sporting bans to criminal convictions, as authorities seek to draw a clear line between regulated wagering and activity that undermines the integrity of the game.