Turkish media mogul Acun Ilicali faces indictment over illegal betting ads on TV

An indictment has been prepared against Acun Ilicali, Turkish media mogul, Hull City football club owner, Fenerbahce vice president, and several other suspects in relation to the promotion of illegal betting, following an investigation by the Istanbul Republic Chief Prosecutor’s Office.

The indictment accuses Ilicali and others of airing advertisements for illegal betting sites during football matches broadcasted on TV8 and EXXEN platforms, with a prison sentence request ranging from one to three years.

The indictment, prepared by the Istanbul Republic Chief Prosecutor’s Cybercrime Investigation Bureau, lists Ilicali as a “suspect.”

According to the indictment, Ilicali and several other suspects are accused of promoting unauthorized and illegal betting sites through virtual advertising techniques during football matches aired on TV8 and EXXEN.

They face charges of “encouraging individuals to advertise or otherwise promote fixed-odds or joint betting or gambling based on sports events,” with the request for a sentence of 1 to 3 years in prison and fines of up to 3,000 days of judicial penalties.

The indictment has been forwarded to the Criminal Court of First Instance for evaluation.