Turkey has become the latest country to arrest online gaming executives, after two middle managers linked to Sportingbet's Turkish-facing subsidiary, Superbahis, were detained while on holiday in the country.
In addition to the two Sportingbet employees, individuals related to Maslin Properties, the group’s ex-marketing partner in the region, along with a number of their associates, have also been arrested.
Sportingbet, which was ironically one of the main casualties of the recent US clampdown on internet gambling, said it has received "no formal clarification" of events from the Turkish authorities.
In order to build a more balanced geographic risk profile for the business, the group has, over recent months, been reducing its reliance on the Turkish market. For the third quarter ended April 30, 2008, net gaming revenue from the region accounted for approximately 14 per cent of the overall top line, down from 23 per cent in the prior-year period.
