Istanbul police detained eight people on October 23 in a case involving delayed data for tennis and volleyball bets. Investigators estimate losses for data supplier Spordata and betting companies at about $242,000 (12 million lira at the Turkish Central Bank rate for October 23).
According to prosecutors, Spordata analyst O.B. held back the score feed for seven seconds. Accomplices had time to place bets after a point was played but before the bookmaker's system changed odds or closed betting. According to investigators, no match results were altered.
The case began with a complaint from Spordata itself in June 2026. The company looked into unusual losses in the systems it maintained and found suspicious activity by an employee. He chose to resign without giving an explanation. Experts then reviewed system logs and surveillance camera footage.
O.B. was detained on July 21, and a court later ordered his arrest. According to investigators, he underwent internal training on the Bet Delay mechanism and introduced new staff to it himself, yet during questioning he denied understanding how it worked. Investigators examined correspondence from his devices, including messages about betting accounts and payments to accomplices.
Turkey's Financial Crimes Investigation Department (MASAK) found transactions totaling about $3.87 million (192 million lira) in the analyst's accounts. That sum includes both incoming and outgoing funds, not just his earnings from the scheme. Prosecutors did not specify over what period the money accumulated or how much each bookmaker lost.
Early reports named the operator Nesine among Spordata's clients. Nesine said it does not work with Spordata, receives no data from it, and that neither it nor its clients suffered any losses.
The eight detainees were brought to the Caglayan Courthouse in Istanbul on October 26. The analyst remains in custody. Decisions on the detainees and the charges had not been announced at the time of publication.
