Actor Atakan Yılmaz detained

Actor Atakan Yılmaz has been detained as part of an investigation launched against him on allegations of encouraging people to participate in illegal betting by advertising it.

The investigations launched by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office against internet influencers and celebrities for the crime of 'Opposition to Law No. 7258', known among the public as 'illegal betting', are ongoing. As part of the efforts, actor Atakan Yılmaz, who was determined to have included phrases encouraging illegal betting through methods such as product placement in images shared on his social media accounts, was detained by police today.

In a statement regarding the matter, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office stated the following: 

"It is inevitable to combat illegal betting and gambling in line with the reality that they constitute a form of 'digital drug'. It has been determined that actor Atakan Yılmaz, one of the individuals referred to as a 'high-follower social media user' in many different categories such as sports, beauty, travel, fashion, technology, health, or entertainment on the internet, and who has influence in society due to his recognition, carried out intensive activities encouraging and promoting illegal betting through methods such as product placement in videos and images published on social media platforms accessible to everyone. Upon this determination, an investigation was launched by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office against him on the charge of violating Law No. 7258, known as 'illegal betting' in the eyes of the public, and the aforementioned individual was detained on January 7, 2024."