Turkey's football association states that, with the help of information from authorities, they have reviewed 571 elite referees. Of them, 371 had registered accounts on betting sites, and 152 are active players.
We started by cleaning up our own backyard, says association president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu according to Reuters.
The scope varies. One referee is said to have placed a total of 18,227 bets, while 42 referees have placed more than 1,000 bets each. A few have only played a few times.
The association now promises to take strong action.
They will be referred to the disciplinary board and receive necessary penalties in accordance with our rules, says Haciosmanoglu.
According to Turkish rules, referees who have bet on football risk being suspended for up to five years.
