Three payment platforms suspended after major illegal betting crackdown in Türkiye
File photo shows a person makes an online payment using a mobile device, accessed on Mar. 18, 2025. (Adobe Stock Photo)
The Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye (CBRT) announced Tuesday that popular online payment platforms Payfix, Aypara, and Ininal have been suspended as part of an illegal betting crackdown.
Payfix, Aypara, and Ininal operated as Türkiye-based digital payment platforms, allowing users to manage virtual wallets for money transfers and financial transactions.
Rather than functioning in traditional banking, these platforms were categorized as payment service providers, streamlining fast and secure online transactions, particularly in e-commerce and digital finance.
Background of the probe
On Mar. 14, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office Organized Crime Investigation Bureau launched a probe into illegal betting, leading to the detention of 59 individuals, including Erhan Kork, the owner of Payfix and a Turkish news channel, Flash TV.
According to prosecutors, Payfix, Aypara, and Ininal were allegedly established to facilitate and finance illegal betting operations and money laundering activities.
Reports from the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) and the CBRT revealed that 80,011 different money transfer clusters were detected within the Payfix system, involving a total of 211,109 accounts.
Investigators found that 855 of these accounts were directly linked to illegal betting transactions.
Of the 59 detained, 21 suspects, including Kork, have been arrested.
