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Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya shared recent efforts to crack down on illegal betting and aggravated fraud.
Yerlikaya took to Facebook to share an update on ongoing efforts from Turkish authorities to crack down on illegal betting and aggravated fraud. Recent operations from law enforcement took place across five provinces.
43 suspects were apprehended with a shared transaction volume between them of one billion Turkish lira in their accounts. Out of the 43, eight arrests were made, with judicial control implemented on a further 29. More are expected to go ahead and are currently in progress.
Yerlikaya stated that the suspects are accused of facilitating illegal betting and money transfers through websites, seemingly defrauding citizens by placing fake e-bike, mobile phone sales, and investment advice ads on social media platforms.
These ads drew the attention of the Prosecutor’s Office, prompting the authorities to launch an investigation against the 43 individuals. The in-person raid saw the seizure of many mobile phones, SIM cards, computers, bank cards, and digital materials thought to be related to the fraudulent activities.
Image: Ali Yerlikaya
“I congratulate our Governors, our Chief Public Prosecutor’s Offices who coordinated the operations, our Gendarmerie Cybercrime Combating Department, our Provincial Gendarmerie Commanders who carried out the operations, our Gendarmerie, and our MASAK employees,” wrote Yerlikaya on Facebook. “We continue to fight crime and criminals with determination through our virtual patrols in the Cyber ​​Homeland.”
Turkey is not alone in facing down illegal betting
Turkey is making the crackdown on illegal betting and fraud a priority, but it’s not the only country facing a growing problem. Recent data suggested that a third of US wagering is centered around illegal betting.
In the UK, Visa and Mastercard both flagged the risk of illegal gambling, while regulators in Brazil are pooling resources to tamp down on the growth in illicit activities.
Featured image: Ali Yerlikaya/Pexels
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Indian Ministers have been split over a new online gambling bill that some warn could lead to a rise in illegal betting providers.
The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, was recently passed in the Indian parliamentary Lok Sabha, known colloquially as the House of the People.
The bill aims to change how bettors in India interact with gambling completely and outlaw any gaming in the nation that provides “real money” staking.
India’s gambling reform outlaws monetary wagering
India’s Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw spearheaded the bill, before the nation’s Cabinet considered it to an audible fanfare. He commented on the introduction of the legislation by saying, “Online gaming firms (are) misused for terror financing & money laundering.”
Wagering, staking, skill games, and games of chance that involve any money or wager are to be banned entirely in India. The bill will also make gambling advertising illegal across all forms of media and branding, which could land a hefty blow to sports sponsorships.
Cricket is India’s national sport, and teams and their stars could face a sobering financial situation when the bill comes into force, which will prohibit sponsorship branding as well as featured players promoting gambling.
Banking providers will also be prohibited from processing transactions that relate to any form of wagering or skill games. Any breach of the bill’s expected safeguards comes with hefty sentencing as well as financial penalties.
Indian Ministers split on new bill
Nabila Jamal, Executive Editor for the TV9 Network, interviewed Minister Shashi Tharoor, who had low hopes for the bill.

#BREAKING
Shashi Tharoor on the online gaming bill
Says Govt should legalise & tax, not ban, as bans push it underground, fuel mafia…Adds such issues should go to a standing committee for detailed study@ShashiTharoor #gamingban https://t.co/u3trXwcvBI pic.twitter.com/u1LKM2m1e3
— Nabila Jamal (@nabilajamal_) August 20, 2025

He said, “When you ban it (gambling), unfortunately, it goes underground, and that’s where criminal mafias step in and profit from it. I don’t know why the government has chosen this path, but this is the stand they’ve taken.”
We reported that India generated $43.9 billion in gross gaming revenues across FY 2024, so this loss will need to be addressed in the wake of the new bill.
This is a steady increase of $2.0 billion from the previous 2023 financial year, so the nation is seeing a rise in staking, but its opportunities will soon be cut short.
The country’s coffers will take a substantial hit or lose out to illicit gambling providers if not regulated for the benefit of the nation, say those in opposition.
“It (gambling revenue) could actually serve as a useful source of revenue for the government if legalised, regulated, and taxed. In my view, many countries have studied this issue in great detail and concluded that legalising and taxing online gaming allows governments to generate funds that can be used for various worthy causes,” Tharoor concluded.
Esports are untouched by the ban
An interesting development in the wake of President Droupadi Murmu’s passing of the National Sports Governance Bill 2025 earlier this month (August 2025) is this new gambling legislation’s stance on Esports. Esports are now recognized as a sport in India by the National Sports Board (NSB).
“On one hand are casual games and Esports, which are educational and entertaining. On the other are online money games that have impacted the lives of multiple families,” said Vaishnaw.
The minister’s comments and the bill’s contents have caused a visible split between traditional real-money gaming and Esports. However, Esports can be wagered upon, and some competitions and teams are sponsored by betting providers or their subsidiaries.
As we reported, there has been an emergence of gaming brands exploring gambling sponsorship opportunities across the world.
Riot Games, the studio behind League of Legends (LoL) and VALORANT, has announced that esports betting and sponsorships will now be officially integrated into their marquee titles.
So it remains to be seen how India will ban sports gambling advertising in a rapidly growing market and allow Esports to thrive.
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The Chicago Bears have agreed to a multi-year sports betting and casino partnership with PENN Entertainment.
The multi-year agreement designates PENN’s Chicagoland retail properties, Hollywood Casino Aurora, and the new state-of-the-art Hollywood Casino Joliet as Official Casino Partners, and ESPN BET Sportsbook as official sports betting partners of the Bears. This signs over a number of rights to PENN, including IP, in-stadium signage, and various digital opportunities.
“We’re thrilled to announce this partnership in connection with the opening of our new state-of-the-art Joliet property and on the precipice of football season,” said Todd George, Executive Vice President, Operations, PENN Entertainment. “Teaming up with one of the premier franchises in the NFL creates exciting new omnichannel marketing opportunities for our ESPN BET and Hollywood Casino brands.
“Through the partnership, we look forward to engaging a large and passionate audience at Soldier Field as well as across our online products and at the new property in the Chicagoland area.”
Chicago Bears represent an ongoing focus on sports betting
This partnership highlights PENN Entertainment’s ongoing investment into sports betting – a savvy choice, given recent studies demonstrating the ongoing and projected growth of the sector. With the incoming adult generation of Gen-Z proving to have an interest in sports gambling, getting ahead of the curve is a smart move.
PENN has got plenty of potential planned for its products, with a new suite of features just launched for ESPN BET, including its FanCenter that allows users to find wagering markets more easily. In terms of physical games, the Hollywood Casino Joliet just had its grand opening on August 11, 2025, replacing the former riverboat location, which Bears executives and NFL legend and Joliet native Tom Thayer were in attendance for.
Last but not least, construction is currently underway on the new Hollywood Casino Aurora, which is expected to open in the first half of 2026. With so much coming up, now seems like a strategic time for a sports-facing partnership.
Featured image: Flickr, licensed under PDM 1.0
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