Istanbul / Ankara, 31 October 2025 — The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) announced on Friday that it has suspended 149 referees amid accusations of sports betting offences.
According to a statement from TFF, its disciplinary committee has imposed suspension periods ranging from eight to twelve months on the implicated officials. Meanwhile, investigations remain ongoing for an additional three referees.
An internal review covering 571 referees in Turkey’s professional league system revealed that 371 had open sports betting accounts, and 152 were actively placing bets. Among those, ten referees were found to have made over 10,000 bets each — one individual reportedly placing 18,227 bets in total. An additional 42 referees bet on more than 1,000 matches apiece.
Some of the referees under scrutiny are serving at the highest level: 22 officials (comprising seven referees and 15 assistants) are currently assigned to Turkey’s top-tier league.
“Refereeing is a profession of honour,” said TFF President Ä°brahim HacıosmanoÄŸlu. He emphasised that anyone tarnishing that honour “will never again be involved in Turkish football.”
The federation did not disclose whether any of the suspended officials are accused of placing bets on matches they personally officiated.
In a separate development, the Istanbul public prosecutor’s office has launched an official investigation into the alleged betting activity.
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