A detailed indictment has emerged, charging Fenerbahçe Vice President and Hull City owner Acun Ilıcalı and seven other executives with promoting illegal betting through football broadcasts on TV8 and Exxen platforms.
Acun, owner of TV8 and Exxen, subsidiaries of Acun Medya, faces prison sentences of up to five years and three months.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office initiated the investigation after receiving requests from the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) and the Istanbul Provincial Gendarmerie Command's Cyber Crime Unit to identify broadcasts featuring illegal betting ads.
The indictment highlights a November 2024 Türkiye-Montenegro match aired by TV8 and Exxen.
During this broadcast, unauthorized betting sites advertised on virtual billboards in the stadium, triggering administrative sanctions.
Similar illegal ads appeared in highlights from the Aug. 6, 2024, Lille-Fenerbahçe match, the Oct. 14, 2024, Iceland-Türkiye game and the Sept. 6, 2024, Wales-Türkiye match, which were also shown on Exxen’s YouTube channel.
According to the indictment, these broadcasts were reviewed after RTÜK’s response, and evidence of the illegal ads was confirmed.
The suspects claimed they were simply broadcasting content provided by contracted clubs or media companies without altering the content and that they had no financial gain from the illicit advertisements.
The defendants also argued that, technically, it was impossible to censor these illegal betting ads during the broadcasts. As a result, they stated, many broadcasters, including themselves, were forced to air matches featuring such ads.
The indictment emphasizes the wide reach of the illegal ads, describing the betting games as "digital drugs" that negatively impact individuals both financially and emotionally, potentially disrupting societal structure.
The broadcast of these ads was considered a criminal act by the authorities.
The indictment requests that Acun Illıcalı, along with TV8 and Exxen executives – including board members, directors and managers – be sentenced to prison terms ranging from one year and three months to five years and three months for "encouraging individuals to participate in sports-related betting or gambling activities."
The indictment has been approved by the prosecutor's office and submitted to the Istanbul Criminal Court.
Another indictment has surfaced, accusing Sadettin Saran, Alan Kenan Saran, Azade Zeynep Haksal, and Emre Eren of promoting illegal betting during sports broadcasts.
They face prison sentences ranging from one year to five years and three months.
The investigation, conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, follows RTÜK’s request to identify illegal betting ads in sports broadcasts.
The indictment reveals that, in 2023, "S SPORT," an internet platform under Sadettin Saran-owned Saran İnternet Televizyon Yayıncılık AŞ, aired football matches that featured illegal betting ads on stadium billboards and near the goals.
These ads were found to be from unlicensed betting sites.
The suspects maintained that they were broadcasting content provided by contracted sports clubs or organizations, claiming they had no information regarding the ads or financial benefits from them. They also asserted that, technically, it was impossible to prevent the airing of these ads.
Despite their efforts to block the ads, including reaching out to Spain’s La Liga, they received no positive response.
The indictment describes the betting games as harmful "digital drugs" that negatively affect individuals and the broader community.
The indictment seeks sentences of one to three years for Sadettin Saran and Alan Kenan Saran, while Azade Zeynep Haksal and Emre Eren face one year and three months to five years and three months for encouraging illegal betting.
The Istanbul Criminal Court is currently reviewing the indictment.
