The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has uncovered a significant number of referees involved in widespread sports betting activities. TFF President Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu revealed on Monday that internal audits showed 371 out of 571 active referees in Turkey had betting accounts. Among them, seven referees were authorized to officiate in the Super Lig, Turkey’s premier division, with 152 actively engaging in gambling.
Haciosmanoglu stated that the federation prioritized cleansing its ranks, identifying seven top-level referees, 15 top-level assistants, 36 classified referees, and 94 classified assistants with betting accounts. The investigation conducted by the TFF cross-referenced the referees’ details with national betting databases.
According to Haciosmanoglu, 42 referees had placed bets on over 1,000 games each, with one individual betting a staggering 18,227 times, while some had only bet once. While sports betting is legal in Turkey, it is strictly prohibited for referees under FIFA and UEFA regulations. Merely having a betting account is considered a breach of integrity for officials.
Consequences for the referees may involve suspension, permanent bans, or criminal referrals under FIFA and UEFA’s regulations regarding betting activities. Haciosmanoglu confirmed that the disciplinary board of the federation would promptly initiate actions against the implicated referees, applying necessary penalties in line with their regulations.
The recent findings by the TFF bring to mind Turkey’s notorious 2011 match-fixing scandal, where numerous individuals, including club officials, coaches, and referees, were accused of manipulating game outcomes.