(AsiaGameHub) – Indonesia is intensifying its campaign against online gambling by leveraging banking restrictions, content blocking, and payment system oversight. The most recent measure involved targeting an additional 1,000 accounts associated with illicit betting operations.
Good to Know
- On 13 April, Indonesia froze more than 1,000 bank accounts connected to online gambling.
- The cumulative count of accounts blocked since 2024 has now risen to 33,252.
- Official data indicates a 57% decline in online gambling activity from 2024 to 2025.
Indonesia Pushes Harder on Online Gambling
Indonesia has extended its list of accounts targeted in online gambling enforcement by another 1,000, broadening a widespread initiative that has already affected 33,252 accounts since 2024. This latest move was executed on Monday under the coordination of the Financial Services Authority (OJK).
The OJK characterizes the problem as extending beyond mere law enforcement. In March, board member and banking head Dian Ediana Rae stated: “Online gambling … has extensive consequences for the economy and financial sector.” He noted that the OJK had instructed banks to implement enhanced due diligence or to block the 33,252 accounts linked to such activities.
The nation maintains a zero-tolerance stance toward gambling. As the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, Indonesia prohibits all gambling forms under Sharia law for both citizens and foreigners. The 1974 Control of Gambling Law described gambling as “contrary to religion, decency and the morals of Pancasila, and dangerous to the life of the community, nation and state”. The legislation further established an objective of the “complete elimination [of gambling] from the territory”.
The rise of online betting subsequently compelled the legal framework to adapt. Mobile applications and social media provided new avenues for access, prompting Indonesia to enact specific legislation against online gambling in 2024. Between October 2024 and May 2025, officials blocked over 1.3 million instances of online gambling content. Plans were also introduced to prevent the use of e-wallets for online gambling, and the prohibition now extends to cryptocurrency-based betting.
Authorities report that the crackdown is yielding measurable results. Data from the Indonesian Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre shows a 57% reduction in online gambling volume from 2024 to 2025.
Penalties continue to be severe. Individuals caught gambling can receive prison sentences of up to five years and fines reaching RP1 billion (approximately $66,000). Operators and promoters risk asset forfeiture and can be barred from obtaining business licenses for a decade. While prediction markets are not explicitly cited in the ban, event-based wagering is also commonly prosecuted as a criminal offense.
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