Istanbul prosecutors investigate alleged betting-data manipulation causing TRY12m loss

Prosecutors in Istanbul are investigating an alleged scheme in which an analyst at Spordata deliberately delayed updates to live sports data by seven seconds, according to a statement from the prosecutor's office on 23 October. The analyst, identified by the initials O.B., was arrested in July. The investigation is coordinated by the office for crimes related to illegal betting and sport, with the involvement of Istanbul police's cybercrime unit. The allegations have not been resolved by a final judgment.

Investigators put the alleged economic loss to Spordata and its client companies at about TRY12m, equivalent to about €216,000. The alleged manipulation mainly concerned tennis and volleyball matches. According to the account, accomplices could place bets after the actual score had changed but before betting platforms had received the update, allowing them to use odds that no longer matched the real state of the competition.

Financial inquiries identified total incoming and outgoing movements on the analyst's accounts of about TRY192m, equivalent to about €3.45m. The figure represents the volume of financial movements examined and does not match the alleged economic loss. The checks led to the identification of eight other people suspected of having worked with the analyst.

On 23 October police carried out a coordinated operation and detained the eight suspects. According to updates issued on 27 October, four of the eight were placed in pre-trial detention and the other four were made subject to judicial-control measures. That brings the total number of people held in the investigation to five. Investigators are continuing work to reconstruct the operations carried out through betting accounts and to establish individual responsibility.