15 January 2026
By Roger Kennedy
roger@TheCork.ie
Sports/Entertainment
Ongoing investigations into widespread illegal betting has now hit the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) with over 1,000 arrests. On the 8th January, 2026, the Professional Football Discipline Committee (PDFK) suspended 212 football officials suspended in October last year, pending investigation.
104 agents and 108 coaches have been added to the 1,024 players and 149 referees now under scrutiny.
UFC Pounces on Rigged Fights
Los Vegas fight between featherweights Dulgarian and Yadier del Valle in October last year were reported by betting watchdog IC360 when an unusual rush of betting betting on del Valle dropped the odds from 250- to 150- during the hour preceding the start of the fight.
Dulgarian with his promising 7-1 record then made a string of amateur mistakes, quickly losing the fight to a rear-naked choke. UFC president, Dana White, has declared a war on breaches and illegal betting, stating a zero-tolerance policy.
This is not the first incident reported. Fight between Darrick Minner and Shayilan Nuerdanbieke two years previously exhibited the same pattern, starting with a flurry of bets just before start of fight significantly changing the odds on the underdog. The fight was again doctored, with Minner blaming a kick on an undisclosed injury.
James Krause, the coach behind the fight, was dishonoured, and all his fighters were required to dissociate from him to continue with their careers. Dulgarian was one of them, in 2022, causing further concern for links between the incidents, which have now been revealed to be a part of a large and long running offshore operation.
NBAs Network of Scandal
The illegal network of linked officials and players is extensive, and across several sports. Just before the Dulgarian/Yadier fight there were 30 arrests within the NBA for illegal gambling and games rigging. Central are the four players and coaches Billups, Terry Rozier, Jones, and Porter who pleaded guilty in July 2024, amongst the 34 charged on 23rd October, 2025.
Connected to the Gambino crime family, the illegal network includes both sport and poker games, including insider information, rigged games, illegal betting, and a minimum of three NBA teams. The NCAA have ascertained deliberate interference with game outcomes in seven games, involving Jamond Vincent, Dyquavian Short and Dae Hunter amongst others. Together with Donovan Sanders, Alvin Stredic and B.J. Freeman, all participants have now been placed on a permanent ban.
In addition, college basketball and professional baseball have not escaped unscathed.
Turkish Scandal Escalates
With the ban of 1,024 players plus 149 referees by the PDFK in October, the sports world reels with the inclusion of 27 from Super Lig clubs.
The Rules Violated
It is a violation for any active participants in sport to gamble on matches they are involved in, as per Article 57, breaches resulting in bans and fines. Under Article 27, penalties can include suspensions and fines of €108,000.
As a result of breaches over the previous five years, the TFF referred 212 officials for disciplinary action on 8th January, 2026. All are charged with illegal betting while officially involved in the sport. Fifa also bans any all gambling, betting or lotteries on any sport while officially active.
High Profile Players Charged by TFF
The officials and players involved in the Turkish scandal and charged by the Turkish Football Federation run all the way to the top. Current champions come from Galatasaray and Alanyaspor, as well as from Samsunspor, Kayserispor, Besiktas, Gaziantep, Goztepe, Konyaspor, Caykur Rizespor, Trabzonspor, Kasimpasa, Fatih Karagumruk, Eyupspor, and Antalyaspor. This is 14 of the top 18 teams, involving 27 players across all. Players include:
45-day ban by PDFK:
Samsunspor player Celil Yuksel, midfielder: denies allegations, suspension set on 10th November.
Galatasaray player Eren Elmali, left-back defender: denies allegations, suspension set on 13th November.
Besiktas players–
Ersin Destanoglu, goalkeeper: denies allegations, still pending
Necip Uysal, midfielder: denies allegations, charges dropped
Perhaps most shocking is how widespread the breaches are. Two thirds of officials hold betting accounts: 371 of the 571 officials in total, with 152 of them in active use. The rules are designed for fair play and fair betting, banning insider information as an unfair advantage. Currently 149 officials are on suspensions which are eight to twelve months long, with three referees still being investigated.
Rigged Matches
This is not just about infringements on fair play in sport, but a criminal matter involving both the Antalya and Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. The 21 arrests include 17 referees, and a significant chair with a major Turkish club.
Timeline of Some significant NCAA Developments
The repealing by PASPA (Amateur Sports Protection Act) in 2018 of bans on sports gambling means that all bar two of the US states now permit sports betting. The increased level of sports betting has also meant an increase in incidents.
Nov. 29, 2019: Josh Shaw, NFL, indefinite suspension for betting on league games.
Oct. 8, 2021: Felipe Hernandez, MLS, suspended for bets.
March 7, 2022: Calvin Ridley, NFL, one year suspension.
Dec. 23, 2022: Miles Austins, WR coach, one year suspension
April 21, 2023: Stanley Berryhill, NFL, one of Five suspended
May 4, 2023: Head baseball coach Brad Bohannon fired for suspicious betting activity.
May 8, 2023: Iowa universities investigation of over 36 athletes across sports including football, basketball, baseball, track and field and wrestling.
June 29, 2023: Isaiah Rodgers Sr and others, NFL, suspension over illegal gambling.
Oct 26, 2023: Shane Pinto suspended for 41 games
Oct. 27, 2023: Jake Staiano and Vince India, PGA, suspension.
Jan. 25, 2024: Kayshon Boutte, Louisiana State Police, computer fraud and minors gambling.
March 12, 2024: Amit Patel, fraud of $22 million, 6 ½ year sentenced.
March 20, 2024: Dodger sentenced for $16 million theft from Shohei Ohtani.
April 17, 2024: Jontay Porter, NBA, lifetime ban for prop bets.
June 4, 2024: Marcano (life ban) and 6 others, baseball, one-year suspensions.
Aug. 15, 2024: Notre Dame swim team, one-year suspension for gambling.
Feb 22, 2025: Jalen Weaver and Zaon Collins, NCAA, basketball betting, currently suspended.
June 29, 2025: Malik Beasley, NBA, no charges, investigation concluded.
July 3, 2025: Luis Ortiz, Major League Baseball, administrative duties pending enquiry.
July 28, 2025: Emmanuel Clase and Ortiz, nondisciplinary paid leave for one month pending enquiry.
Aug. 31, 2025: Clase and Ortiz, suspensions extended indefinitely.
Sept. 10, 2025: Mykell Robinson, Steven Vasquez and Jalen Weaver, Fresno, permanently banned.
Oct. 23, 2025: Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier, FBI arrests 34 for illegal betting and fixing underground poker games.
Ireland isn’t immune, with the Athlone Town Football Club incident in 2017 resulting in the FAI taking action and suspending Dragos Sfrijan and Igors Labuts for 12 months each. Athlone were in the headlines later, due to an attempted match fixing in 2024, showing that the legal system is functioning. However, with increased games and gambling options available such as the recent expansion in the US, this will be an ongoing problem, especially in the more popular gambling sports such as football, basketball, baseball and the UFC. The illegal underground markets will continue to operate.
Meanwhile, Turkey is working hard to get on top of its current crisis and its investigation of over 1,000 players and officials breaching the rules over the past five years.