ANKARA

A large-scale operation targeting illegal gambling has led to the arrest of 319 suspects across 54 of the country’s 81 provinces.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced the operation conducted by gendarmerie forces in coordination with prosecutors and the Cybercrime Department of the General Directorate of Security.

Major cities including the capital Ankara, Istanbul and the western province of İzmir, participated in the crackdown.

Yerlikaya stated on social media that the operation resulted in the seizure of five unlicensed firearms, a significant amount of foreign currency and cryptocurrency and numerous digital devices.

The crackdown comes as the country sees an alarming rise in gambling addiction.

For the first time, gambling addiction has surpassed drug addiction in counseling applications, Green Crescent (Yeşilay) Chairman Mehmet Dinç highlighted.

Presenting at the Parliamentary Committee on Children’s Rights, Dinç noted a sharp increase in gambling-related applications from 24 percent in 2020 to 36 percent in 2024, particularly among individuals aged 15 and older.