Cyber Police: 3,323 Gambling Channels Identified on Telegram

Kamal Hadianfar, head of the Cyber Police, announced on Tuesday, December 7, the arrest of 184 individuals in connection with online gambling networks in Iran and the identification of 3,323 gambling channels on Telegram. According to ISNA and Mizan news agencies, this police official stated that 248 legal cases have been filed regarding online gambling networks and channels both inside and outside Iran. Hadianfar added that members of these networks and channels had embezzled 23 billion tomans through online gambling, which is currently 'frozen.' He raised concerns about the potential mixing of 'gambling money with people's money' and called for the regulation and oversight of internet gateways to prevent the transfer of gambling funds. Previously, Iranian officials have referred to football betting sites as 'gambling' sites and have repeatedly blocked them in recent years. In this context, Abdol-Samad Khorram-Abadi, Deputy Prosecutor General, stated on October 4 that betting is a 'criminal act' and that betting sites will be filtered and their operators will be 'dealt with.' Khorram-Abadi added that betting is 'a type of gambling and is considered a crime under Islamic Penal Law.' Some media outlets in Iran have reported that a significant number of 'virtual football betting agencies' have begun operating in recent years. The Young Journalists Club reported in 2014 that 'numerous websites related to football predictions have been created, and the number of these sites increases daily.' According to this report, betting sites generate 'millions and sometimes billions' in revenue, and 'online payments' to them are possible from Iranian bank accounts. Internet activities in Iran have led to crimes such as internet theft and online fraud, which, according to the head of the Cyber Police, 60% of these 'violations relate to unauthorized withdrawals.' He also stated that 66% of mobile network-related internet crimes occur on Telegram, while less than 2% are related to WhatsApp. According to this police official, channels committing crimes and violations on Telegram are monitored by the Cyber Police and are subject to filtering. Hadianfar added, 'Currently, 20% of crimes occur on Instagram, which the Cyber Police is also addressing.' The head of the Cyber Police stated, 'Out of 152 active messaging platforms worldwide, currently 52 are active in the country, and 30 need to be filtered.'