A massive betting-related scandal rocked Turkish football as more than 100 referees were accused of opening accounts to place bets.
A large-scale investigation revealed that nearly400 football referees had created betting accounts, raising concerns aboutpotential match-fixing.
152 professional football referees placed bets on the sport
During a press conference on Monday, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) uncovered details regarding a comprehensive investigation.
The probe into football referees' betting actions in Turkey comes at a time when the sport is facing scrutiny over suspected corruption and match-fixing.
According to data provided by the TFF, out of all 571 active football referees in professional leagues, 371 had an account with one or more of the six betting companies in the country.
Of the 371 total referees, 152 placed wagers on football matches.
According to a breakdown provided by TFF's President, İbrahim Ethem Hacıosmanoğlu, there were seven upper division referees and 15 upper division assistant referees who placed bets.
On the other hand, the division referees who wagered on football matches were 36, while the division assistant referees who placed football bets were 94.
Hacıosmanoğlu acknowledged that the findings of the investigation were shared with FIFA and UEFA, adding that the TFF continues to collaborate with those bodies.
However, he added: "Despite clear instructions, we are saddened by the fact that referees are opening accounts and placing bets in their own names."
Most of the matches the referees bet on were from foreign football leagues
Additional details disclosed by the TFF reveal that a total of 10 referees placed bets on more than 10,000 football matches.
Equally as concerning, a single referee placed a total of 18,227 bets on football matches, while 42 referees individually placed bets on more than 1,000 football matches.
While there were referees with bets on thousands of matches, the TFF confirmed that some referees only placed a single bet on a single match.
"Most of the matches bet on were for foreign leagues," the TFF said.
Hacıosmanoğlu explained: "As of today, our Disciplinary Board will initiate the necessary procedures, make referrals within a short timeframe, and impose the necessary penalties according to our instructions."
After the initial announcement of the scandal on Monday, the TFF confirmed on Tuesday that referral reports made by the Legal Consultancy were sent to the Professional Football Disciplinary Board (PFDK) on October 28, 2025.
The referral reports include a total of 152 referees, who were referred to the PFDB in accordance with Article 57 of the Football Disciplinary Instruction due to betting on football matches.
