Illegal betting sites are gaining prevalence in multiple countries, including Türkiye, as teens have started engaging with them at an early age, whether it is through online slot machines or betting on matches. Following the increase in engagement with these betting sites, the prosecutor’s office pressed charges on a couple of influencers and celebrities for promoting such sites on social media, not only because they are illegal and unrecognized betting sites but also because gambling as a whole, which most of these sites also contain, is illegal in Türkiye.
Among the suspects alleged to be involved in illegal betting advertisements are singer Serdar Ortaç, presenter Mehmet Ali Erbil, former footballer Batuhan Karadeniz, social media influencers İbrahim Yılmaz, Muzaffer Zorbey Erkoçlar, and Sefa Caner Sarıçam, and Russian and Turkish citizen Aleksander Mensikof. The Istanbul Police Department detained 16 suspects, including Mehmet Ali Erbil and Serdar Ortaç, following their operation. It has been announced that five of these suspects are abroad, and efforts are ongoing to locate the other two.
Sixteen suspects, following their procedures at the police station, were sent to the courthouse after a health check. Mehmet Ali Erbil and Serdar Ortaç were referred to court with a request for arrest. Ortaç and Erbil stated at the courthouse that they regretted their actions, and the court decided to release Serdar Ortaç and Mehmet Ali Erbil under house arrest. However, the chief prosecutor appealed against the release of the celebrities and requested a full-on arrest.
Additionally, the court, which ruled for the arrest of twelve suspects, including Sefa Caner Sarıcam, Esma Sözen, Muzaffer Zorbey Erkoçkar, and İbrahim Yılmaz, decided that two suspects, one of whom is under 18, should be released conditionally.
The prosecutor's office then requested an investigation to impose access restrictions on the accounts of some suspects known as social media influencers, including İbrahim Yılmaz, which was evaluated by the Istanbul 4th Criminal Judge.
The court that accepted the request decided to impose access restrictions on the social media accounts of the suspects who were arrested within the scope of the investigation: Esma Sözen, Soner Kabakçı, Emirhan Karuç, Sefa Caner Sarıçam, Emircan Çelik, Ramazan Karkin, Muzaffer Zorbey Erkoçkar, and Yağmur Şifa Yaprak. The request for access restrictions for other influencers arrested in the same investigation is still being evaluated by the court.
While leaving the courthouse after his proceedings, suspect Serdar Ortaç stated to the press that gambling had taken his home, his marriage, and his health away from him. He continued his words by saying, "It also brought me to court. How else can we describe gambling? I don’t know how we can explain this to people. They invited me to the hotel opening on Malta Island. They said it was for the opening of a restaurant. They came there and took the game out on their cell phone. We fell for it. You can't say anything abroad; I couldn't say anything. In fact, the match was ongoing; someone was asking me, 'Mr. Serdar, what will the score be?' I don’t understand. I'm regretful; I'm sad."
It is especially important to mention the role of Batuhan Karadeniz in advertising these illegal betting sites, as he does football commenting on his social media and is watched by millions of people, as well as teenagers and most importantly high schoolers wanting to make quick and easy money.
Unfortunately, gambling and betting through these sites are so normalized among teenagers that they have almost turned it into a competition, and it has become a way to get popular. These teenagers, especially those who have a certain level of wealth, see gambling as a business opportunity and can be considered addicted: They engage with it in school, during lessons, and even in their free time. There is no law that scares them since getting caught while individually betting, as in gambling, is considered an offense that requires an administrative monetary fine, hence not a crime. The most common form of betting among teenagers is coupons, which they use for two well-known subjects: sports matches and money. However, there are also common examples of them playing gambling games on these websites.
Unfortunately, the celebrities and influencers under investigation only make up the tip of the iceberg, and many more individuals are advertising for such sites.
For instance, Galatasaray, one of the “three big” football teams in Türkiye, was caught in controversy two months ago. In the match against Çaykur Rizespor, the conversation focused more on the new shirt sponsor than the difference in score, which was five to zero. Very important claims were raised regarding “meritking.news,” which appears as the back sponsor on the team’s shirt. Among these claims was that the mentioned site belonged to an illegal betting company called “Meritking.”
According to a claim, a news website called “meritking.news” was designed as a ready-made template, and a small number of the news articles within it were created using artificial intelligence. The aim here was to create the impression that it was a news site rather than an illegal betting site. Furthermore, it appears that the domain of the “meritking.news” site was acquired 3 months ago, which makes the site highly unlikely to sign a million-dollar sponsorship deal with the team.
The company Merit International, owned by Net Holding, also made a statement after the Galatasaray-Caykur Rizespor match, announcing that it has been in a legal dispute for years over the name “Meritking” and that the Galatasaray Club will be informed about the matter, stating, "They are stealing our name and running illegal betting and gambling."
Hande Tibuk, Executive Board Member of Net Holding, shared the following on her social media account: "We are exercising all our legal rights against unauthorized uses related to the Merit brand owned by Net Holding. Our legal battle with the owners of Meritking.news, which essentially operates an illegal online betting and gambling site, has also been ongoing for years. Necessary information will be provided to the Galatasaray authorities, and a warning letter will be sent."
In the information provided by Sports Digitale, it is stated, "Net Holding had a notary certify that the website “meritking.news” used the logo of an illegal betting site and provided link redirection on August 7 and September 1. The notary certification documents have been added to the criminal complaint. These documents were sent to Galatasaray Club, the Turkish Football Federation, and the Sports Toto Organization Presidency."
In response to the question "Did you receive the money?", the Galatasaray Club’s Vice President Niyazi Yelkencioğlu responded, "Half of the money has been transferred to our account. We made a deal with meritking.news; this has nothing to do with Merit. This money doesn't come from outer space; we didn't make this deal with aliens. I can't say how a newly established site provided this money; I'm not a tax officer."
In response to the increasingly intense reactions in the public, Galatasaray Club decided to freeze its sponsorship agreement with "meritking.news." In a statement on the official website, the following was shared: "The sponsorship agreements signed by our club and Galatasaray Sportif A.Ş. with Serwin Global Solutions SDN BHD regarding the promotion of the brand "meritking.news," a digital sports news platform, have been suspended until the information, documents, and other allegations conveyed to our club become clear. As Galatasaray, we will continue to work by taking precautions to protect our club's interests in all kinds of collaborations we undertake."
The figures reported by Galatasaray Club regarding this sponsorship have also sparked significant debate in the public eye. In its notification to the Public Disclosure Platform (KAP), the club announced that it would receive 6.5 million dollars for a two-year agreement, while in a statement on its own website, it declared that it would generate 14 million dollars in revenue from this agreement. One of the most interesting aspects of the situation is that the news site, which is set to pay such a large amount, has a page value of only 60 dollars.
The Sports Toto Organization has also filed a lawsuit regarding the controversial sponsorship. It has filed a criminal complaint with the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office against the Galatasaray and Adana Demirspor clubs using the “meritking.news” brand, as well as the relevant sub-sites associated with illegal betting. The organization requested an investigation into the connection between the websites that offer betting under the name “Meritking” and the promoted news site.
In the English version of the site, logos of other clubs receiving sponsorship support can be seen, such as Torino, Real Betis, Alaves, Kızıl Yıldız, Monza, Real Valladolid, and Parma.
The controversy has gained noticeable traction on social media, with football fans criticizing Galatasaray for their actions and using the instance to justify their rigged league claims. Even though the controversy calmed down last month, it has started to make headlines again with the new arrests.
With the illegal betting sites operation now started, more and more individuals are coming forward on social media, especially X, to expose influencers who they have seen advertise these sites. One such individual is Ibrahim Haskoloğlu, who has started a thread. Among the individuals he has exposed are YouTubers Deniz Aksoy and Zeynep Buse Korkmaz, rapper Tepki, and former Survivor contestant Yasin Obuz.
The recent arrests and ongoing investigations highlight the severity of the issue, revealing a troubling trend where gambling is normalized among teenagers, often viewed as a quick path to wealth. The involvement of high-profile figures, such as Serdar Ortaç and Mehmet Ali Erbil, emphasizes the need for stricter regulations and greater awareness about the dangers of gambling. As public outrage grows, fueled by revelations about sponsorship deals with illegal betting companies like "meritking.news,", it is clear that a collective effort is required to combat this issue. This includes holding influencers accountable, implementing stricter laws, and fostering a culture that prioritizes responsible behavior over the allure of easy money. The continuing discussion of this subject is an essential reminder of the obligations that accompany power and the significance of shielding vulnerable groups from the dangers of gambling.
Edited by: Melisa Altıntaş, Oya Yamaç