Lawyer Ekren explained the role of famous figures in illegal gambling to Haberler.com: They can earn 1 million lira with a single post.

"Illegal betting encouragement" allegations have led to an investigation involving many famous names and influencers, including Mehmet Ali Erbil and Serdar Ortaç. Following this, host Melis Yaşar asked lawyer Özer Alişan Ekren about the details in the Haberler.com studio. Ekren discussed the legal status of illegal betting, the earnings of famous figures used as encouragement methods, inspections, and the increasing suicide cases due to gambling.

"REASONS FOR PREFERING HIGH ODDS AND VARIETY OF GAMES IN ILLEGAL BETTING"

Lawyer Ekren stated that betting outside of the Sports Toto Organization is illegal, noting that illegal betting is preferred because it offers much higher odds and a greater variety of games by taking advantage of the anonymity of the internet. He pointed out that there are four fundamental laws regarding illegal betting, the first of which is the main law numbered 7258, and besides that, there are special applications of fixed-odds and mutual betting games based on sports competitions numbered 5738.

Ekren explained, "Fixed-odds betting is actually a kind of wager. There is a certain rate in the wager. You play it, and either you win or lose. The mutual part is like a lottery where there is a pooled amount of money. The one who knows wins. This is based on that application. The other issue is related to the law regarding the establishment of the Turkish Football Federation (TFF). It regulates the financial assistance that sports clubs and the TFF will receive. This varies between 15% and 10%. In fact, there is a very broad scope of application."

"PUNISHABLE BY 3 TO 5 YEARS IN PRISON AND FINES"

Addressing the penalties for illegal betting, Ekren stated:

"For instance, illegal betting within the country is subject to imprisonment of 3 to 5 years and a monetary fine. There is illegal betting conducted abroad, but it occurs through internet access. This varies between 4 to 6 years. Here, the legislator has not regulated judicial monetary fines. However, the important part here is that since the penalty can be higher than 5 years, it is subject to appeal through legal channels. So, it is actually a more serious crime. There is encouragement for illegal betting, and there is advertising for it. A prison sentence of 1 to 3 years is foreseen for this. Additionally, there is a monetary fine of up to 3,000 days, which can reach approximately 1.5 million lira at the upper limit."

"THEY CAN EARN 1 MILLION LIRA WITH A SINGLE POST"

Highlighting that the main reason for using social media influencers and famous names as encouragement methods is that these individuals have gained the trust of society, Ekren stated, "They communicate with them, and sometimes just their presence at an event or a single post is enough. They pay them significant amounts. In fact, some posts can reach up to 1 million lira for some individuals. Can you imagine? A single post can open the door to earnings of up to 1 million lira."

"YOU MAY ENCOUNTER ENFORCEMENT PROCEEDINGS WHILE TRYING TO WITHDRAW THE EARNED MONEY"

Expressing that there is no legal loophole regarding illegal betting, Ekren noted that most of the regulations in Turkey are quite accurate compared to European countries. He mentioned that famous figures are used to establish trust due to the anonymity, privacy, and ability to attract users of the internet.

Warning that one may encounter enforcement proceedings while trying to withdraw money obtained from illegal betting, Ekren said, "Let's say you won; you don't know if you can withdraw this money. There are sites where you can withdraw, as well as sites where you cannot, but it is entirely at their discretion, and it is possible to face grievances this way. Sometimes, when an illegal betting site sends the money, it can also initiate enforcement proceedings against you. If they initiate enforcement proceedings and you miss the deadline, the enforcement becomes definitive. In fact, people do not want to pursue this too much. After all, they see it as money coming from gambling and do not want to cover their losses. People hesitate to approach judicial authorities."

"ILLEGAL BETTING IS A GREAT BLOW TO TURKISH SPORTS"

Recalling that 15% of the share from betting is transferred to football clubs, Ekren stated, "Here, there is a loss of earnings of about 2 billion lira for clubs in our country. This can actually be considered a significant blow to the youth of the country and Turkish sports."

"SUICIDES DUE TO GAMBLING ADDICTION HAVE INCREASED 3 TIMES IN THE LAST 5 YEARS"

Addressing suicide cases due to gambling addiction, Ekren stated, "In the last 5 years, suicide cases have increased threefold according to reports taken due to gambling addiction. Additionally, I can say that more than 15,000 trials have been reported in Turkey in 2023. This is due to crimes such as playing, encouraging through internet sites, and mediating for money coming from illegal betting."

"ALL GLORIOUS FINAL STORIES ARE BUILT WITH SMALL SUCCESSES"

Describing how betting sites create addiction in individuals and draw them into a quagmire, Ekren said:

"Initially, if a person loses, they are actually happy. Because the amounts lost at the beginning usually create quick and short stories of giving up without leading the person to addiction. However, it is possible to talk about a different situation. The algorithm tries to keep you in the game constantly. It stores your usage habits in its memory. Gradually, you start to win. This easy way of making money brings with it the thought: I have found the loopholes in this application, I can earn money more easily. This gives a person confidence again. They feel smarter, and people start to overlook their small losses. However, in fact, all glorious final stories have always been built with such small success stories."