Illegal betting networks in Türkiye's western province of Izmir have shifted their operations from luxury villas and gated communities to houses rented under the guise of student residences, using them as financial and digital command centers to evade police detection, an investigation revealed.
The new method was uncovered during a series of operations targeting illegal betting organizations, exposing how criminal groups adapted their tactics after previous police crackdowns.
An operation coordinated by the Izmir Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, with cybercrime and intelligence units of the Provincial Police Department, led to raids in Izmir, Aydin, Balikesir and Tekirdag, resulting in the arrest of 20 suspects and revealing the organization's latest operating model.
According to information obtained by Anadolu Agency (AA), investigators found for the first time in the Izmir-based investigation that residences rented under the pretense of student housing had replaced villas and homes in gated communities as the financial hubs of illegal betting operations.
The suspects deliberately rented properties in Buca, a district home to a large university student population. Most were between the ages of 18 and 30 and introduced themselves to landlords as students to avoid attracting suspicion.
Once inside, they equipped the houses with mobile phones, tablets, computers and large numbers of SIM cards before gaining administrator access to betting websites operated from abroad. The houses then served as operational centers for managing illegal gambling activities.
Investigators found that members assigned to live in the nine rented houses were selected through a referral system designed to protect the organization from infiltration.
Some occupants were university graduates while others were unemployed, and many had not known one another before joining the criminal network.
The suspects lived in the residences and worked in shifts to operate betting websites, carrying out financial transactions between gamblers based on instructions sent by organization leaders through the messaging application Telegram.
The investigation also found that when authorities shut down a betting website, the group quickly obtained a new domain and redirected users to the replacement platform within a day using VPN services.
Police said proceeds from illegal betting were transferred each day to rented bank accounts before being distributed across multiple accounts to conceal the money trail.
The organization also relied on mobile phone lines registered in different countries and numerous bank accounts to hide its digital footprint.
Cybercrime investigators identified nearly TL 2 billion ($42.1 million) in financial transactions linked to the network after examining accounts controlled by the suspects. Authorities said efforts are continuing to identify and apprehend additional individuals connected to the organization.
The operation was launched as part of an investigation into illegal betting and charges of establishing a criminal organization. Prosecutors issued detention warrants for 36 suspects. During coordinated raids on July 21, police detained 34 people.
Among those brought before the court, 20 suspects, including the alleged ringleader identified by the initials H.P., were arrested. 13 were released under judicial supervision, while one was released after giving a statement.
Searches of residences and locations used by the organization led to the seizure of an unlicensed handgun, numerous mobile phones, computers and other digital devices, as well as large numbers of SIM cards, bank cards and payment institution cards registered in the names of different individuals.
