The scandal grows as 212 football officials were referred to the Professional Football Discipline Committee (PFDK) on January 8, 2026. The Turkish Football Federation has now barred them from all tasks related to football for the duration of the investigation.
As per the Football Discipline Instructions, Article 57, betting on any football related events while actively serving in any professional leagues is illegal. The PFDK is looking into the illegal placement of bets over the past five years. The 212 include 104 agents and 108 coaches and other technical directors. This is following the suspension in October last year of 1,024 players and 149 referees.
UFC Rocked by Rigged Fights
A rash of unusual betting activity in the lead up to the Los Vegas featherweight Isaac Dulgarian/Yadier del Valle fight in October last year aroused the suspicions of the watchdog betting integrity partner IC360. With no injuries relevant, suspicious were further aroused with some seriously amateur moves on Dulgarian’s part, prompting IC360 to contact the FBI.
In spite of a standing record of 7-1 and a promising outlook as an up-and-coming featherweight contender, his odds as favorite at 250- dropped to 150- in the hour before the start of the event, following a flurry of bets on del Valle.
The fight seemed further compromised with Dulgarian displaying a series of white belt level rookie-type mistakes quickly leading to del Valle gaining a rear-naked choke, tapping out to a choke a minute later. This was despite firm pre-match denials from Dulgarian claiming “No, absolutely not. I’m going to kill this guy.”
All this has thrown major doubt onto the integrity of the fight. It is also on the heels of 30 arrests for games rigging and illegal gambling around NBA. President and CEO of the UFC, Dana White, has been quite firm that such breaches will not be tolerated. What is disturbing is that this is not a first incident.
Two years previously a similar scenario – a sudden flood of last-minute bets on an underdog significant enough to change the odds, in a fight between Darrick Minner and Shayilan Nuerdanbieke. In this case Minner threw a kick with an undisclosed leg injury and blamed it on the fight, in what was revealed as a part of an offshore operation which had been running for years.
The coach, James Krause, was dishonored, and all fighters under him banned unless they dissociated. Krause was Dulgarian’s trainer in 2022, raising further questions and linking the two ongoing investigations. Some other fighters who previously trained with Krause have now claimed on social media that were approached regarding throwing of fights, including Vince Morales and Vanessa Demopoulos in the women’s flyweight.
NBA’s Extending Web
The games rigging and betting scandals aren’t limited to football and fighting. NBA players have also been revealed in a network under investigation, weaving a web around four players and coaches: Billups, Jones, Porter (pleaded guilty in July 2024) and Terry Rozier, also implicated in connection with an illegal betting scheme. 34 were charged on October 23 in a series of schemes linked to the NBA.
The links include rigged poker games, betting on insider information, illegal bets, at least three different NBA teams (Arizona State, Mississippi Valley State, and New Orleans) and extending to connections with the Gambino crime family.
Players including Dae Hunter, Jamond Vincent and Dyquavian Short have been found by the NCAA to have deliberately run interference in their game in a total of seven games, in order to manipulate the betting results. Alvin Stredic and Donovan Sanders have also been caught up in game throwing, and B.J. Freeman provided insider information. All six players have been permanently banned.
With the progress of the investigation into the poker games and NBA rigged games and betting, professional baseball and college basketball have now also been implicated.
PDFK Ban of over 1,024 as Turkish Scandal Escalates
The bans of 1,024 players and 149 referees in Turkey in October swept up some major names, including 27 names from Super Lig clubs.
Who is charged?
Those charged include all the way up to the current champions, Galatasaray, four from Alanyaspor, and players from Besiktas, Kayserispor, Konyaspor, Gaziantep, Caykur Rizespor, Goztepe, Trabzonspor, Fatih Karagumruk, Kasimpasa, Antalyaspor, Samsunspor ad Eyupspor – 27 players affecting 14 of the 18 top league teams. The scandal resulted in play being suspended for two weeks in the lower divisions.
High Profile Players Involved
Galatasaray player including 20 matches and games in all four of the Champion’s League clubs in Istanbul and a 1-0 win over Liverpool, 25-year-old left-back defender Eren Elmali, is one that has been suspended pending the investigation. Elmali denies any knowing involvement in illegal betting, citing an event 5 years ago where his team was involved in a bet without his knowledge. On November 13 he was placed on a 45 day ban by the PDKF.
Also pending charges is 27-year-old midfielder Celil Yuksel who started with Galatasaray as a junior, but now plays for Samsunspor, who also denies in any illegal football betting. On November 10 he was put on a 45 day ban from football. Both bans are now completed.
Major players charged by the Turkish Football Federation:
Eren Elmali, 25-year-old left-back defender, Galatasaray: denies allegations, 45-day ban
Celil Yuksel, 27-year-old midfielder, Samsunspor: denies allegations, 45-day ban
Ersin Destanoglu, 24-year-old goalkeeper, Besiktas: denies allegations, still pending
Necip Uysal, 34-year-old midfielder, Besiktas: denies allegations, charges dropped
Evidence of betting is widespread through officials, with two thirds holding betting accounts. Of the 571 officials currently active, 371 had accounts, 152 of which were being actively used – 10 referees placing over 10,000 bets, one with over 18,000.
TFF president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu has stated a desire to clean up the issues surrounding this scandal and move Turkiye’s football scene back to a platform focused just on the game. At this point, 149 officials are currently suspended, with their terms of suspension ranging from eight months to a year. Three referees are still under investigation.
Match Fixing
Besides the above serious issues on illegal betting, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has also been looking into match fixing, combined with another ongoing investigation by the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. 21 people have been arrested, 17 of them being referees, as well as a chair with a major Turkish club.
The Rules and the Problem
Under Article 57 all participants are banned from gambling on matches in any way, and Article 27 of the code itemizes penalties that can include stiff fines (100,000 Swiss francs or €108,000) and suspensions. As of January 8, 2026, the TFF has referred 104 football agents and 108 other staff – 212 officials in total – to a disciplinary board, all based on allegations over the past 5 years of betting while actively involved.
The list has created some confusion from identical names, namely Sercan Yıldırım. The team striker has not been involved in any way. This is a mistaken identity with another official.
Fifa’s Code of Ethics
Fifa bans all forms of betting, gambling, lotteries or similar events on any sports in which someone is involved, either as a player or an official staff member.
Developments of NCAA Investigations
Since the 2018 repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA, 1992), sports betting and gambling have had a boom across the US, together with a spate of supensions on gambling violations from players and officials across popular betting sports.
May 14, 2018: Supreme Court repeals PASPA, allowing gambling on sports across the country.
Nov. 29, 2019: Indefinite suspension of Josh Shaw by NFL for betting on league games.
Sept. 8, 2020: Sports betting advertising permitted at games – Colorado vs PointsBet.
Oct. 8, 2021: Felipe Hernandez suspended for wagers on MLS games.
March 7, 2022: Calvin Ridley suspended by NFL for one year
Dec. 23, 2022: Miles Austins, WR coach for New York Jets suspended for one year
Jan. 19, 2023: UFC tightens rules after suspicious pre-match activity of Darrick Minner/Shayilan Nuerdanbieke fight.
March 29, 2023: End of University of Colorado and PointsBet partnership three years early.
April 21, 2023: Five NFL players get suspension, including Jameson Williams, C.J. Moore, Shaka Toney, Stanley Berryhill and Quintez Cephus.
May 4, 2023: Brad Bohannon head baseball coach was fired for suspicious betting activity.
May 8, 2023: Beginning of investigation of over 36 athletes by University of Iowa and Iowa State University, including with baseball, basketball, football, wrestling and track and field.
June 29, 2023: Isaiah Rodgers Sr, Rashod Berry, Demetrius Taylor and others suspended by NFL for illegal gambling.
Sept. 29, 2023: Reinstatement of Jameson Williams following changes in NFL gambling policy.
Oct 26, 2023: Shane Pinto suspension, 41 games
Oct. 27, 2023: PGA golfers Jake Staiano and Vince India suspened for 6 and 3 months each.
Jan. 25, 2024: Kayshon Boutte arrested by Louisiana State police for computer fraud and gambling of a minor.
March 8, 2024: Temple reviews unusual activity on a basketball game.
March 12, 2024: Amit Patel sentenced for 6 ½ year for fraud of $22 million over 3 ½ years.
March 20, 2024: Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter fired by Dodgers over theft of $16 million from Ohtani.
March 27, 2024: NCAA president Charlie baker calls for a ban on college prop bets.
April 17, 2024: Jontay Porter banned for life by NBA over betting prop bets.
June 4, 2024: Marcano (Padre infielder) banned for life for baseball betting, also Tucupita Marcano (pitcher). Michael Kelly (Oakland Athletics), Jay Groom (Padre), Jose Rodriguez (Philadelphia Phillies) and Andrew Saafrank (Arizona Diamondbacks) suspended for a year.
June 14, 2024: Baseball umpire Pat Hoberg disciplined by MLB – currently under appeal.
Aug. 15, 2024: One year suspension of Notre Dame’s swim team for gambling.
Jan. 30, 2025: Terry Rozier under investigation over suspicious pre-betting activity in 2023 game. No charges made. Same investigation a Jontay Porter.
Feb 22, 2025: NCAA and Fresno State investigate basketball betting allegations. Jalen Weaver and Zaon Collins currently suspended.
June 29, 2025: Malik Beasley (Pistons) under investigation for NBA betting. No charges, investigation ended.
July 3, 2025: Major League Baseball pitcher Luis Ortiz (Guardians) was placed on administrative during an enquiry over suspicious gambling activity.
July 28, 2025: Guardians’ pitcher Emmanuel Clase placed on nondisciplinary paid leave for August during gambling inquiry
Aug. 31, 2025: Leave extended indefinitely for Clase and Ortiz.
Sept. 10, 2025: Mykell Robinson, Steven Vasquez and Jalen Weaver permanently banned by Fresno State and lost school scholarships for gambling violations.
Oct. 23, 2025: Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier were two of 34 arrested and charged by the FBI. Billups’ charges involved a broad Mafia backed scheme connected with underground poker. Damon Jones of Cleveland Cavaliers was also arrested for insider information.
While the industry reports a legal system that is working, there are also an increasing number of incidents which filter through all sports, especially those most popular for betting such as football, fighting, basketball and baseball. In the US, all states bar California and Texas have legalized sports betting. Underground betting markets have always existed, in the US, Turkey, and elsewhere, and will always do well. Turkey is now facing a similar crisis with over 1,000 currently under investigation, similarly being sorted.
