Turkish authorities have issued arrest warrants against nearly 400 people across the country for their alleged involvement in illegal online betting, Istanbul police said on Friday.

The crackdown targeted 394 suspects in 40 cities -- 207 of them in Istanbul, the police said in a statement.

They are charged with violating the law on online gambling, with some three billion lira (USD 570 million) channelled through the bank accounts of 72 companies and the suspect individuals.

Turkey has strict legislation on gambling. The authorities meanwhile run a state lottery and betting service in a country where football is the most popular sport.

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