Indonesia does not give respite in its battle against illegal online gambling. On April 13, the Financial Services Authority of the country, known by its acronym OJK, coordinated with other government agencies the blocking of 1,000 bank accounts used to finance online gambling activities. With this measure, the total number of frozen accounts since 2024 amounts to 33,252.
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The OJK and its central role in the financial crackdown on illegal gambling
The Financial Services Authority occupies a central place in the government’s strategy to cut the flow of money to clandestine betting. Dian Ediana Rae, a member of the OJK board and director of the banking area, warned in March that online gambling “has far-reaching effects on the economy and the financial sector” and confirmed that the entity requested banks to apply enhanced due diligence on accounts identified as linked to this activity.
The blocking mechanism works through direct coordination between the financial regulator and banking entities, which receive specific instructions to restrict access to the funds of suspicious accounts.
A country where gambling is prohibited by law and religion
Indonesia is the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, and its legal framework directly reflects the principles of Islamic law. Under Sharia, all forms of gambling are prohibited regardless of nationality or modality, whether in person or online.
The oldest regulatory precedent is the 1974 Gambling Control Law, which classified the activity as contrary to religion, morality, and the principles of Pancasila, the foundational philosophy of the Indonesian state, and declared its ultimate goal as the “complete elimination from the territory.” However, lawmakers at that time could not anticipate the emergence of mobile betting and digital platforms accessible from any device.
The legislative response to the rise of digital betting
The gap between the 1974 law and the reality of the digital ecosystem was only covered in 2024, when Indonesia enacted specific legislation to prohibit online betting. From October of that year until May 2025, authorities blocked more than 1.3 million pieces of content related to online gambling and also announced a plan to prevent the use of e-wallets for betting purposes.
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In 2025, the ban was extended to include bets made with cryptocurrencies, closing a route that had begun to gain relevance among bettors seeking to evade traditional financial controls.
The results: a 57% drop in betting volume
The impact of these measures has statistical support. According to the Indonesian Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK), the volume of online betting registered a 57% drop between 2024 and 2025, representing one of the steepest declines documented in markets where gambling operates clandestinely.
Sanctions: prison, fines, and loss of licenses
Betting in Indonesia is not a minor offense. Players face prison sentences of up to five years and fines of up to 1 billion rupiah, equivalent to approximately $66,000. For operators and promoters, the consequences are even more severe: asset confiscation and a ten-year ban on obtaining commercial licenses. Participating in prediction markets linked to events is also considered a crime, although the country does not have an explicit ban on this type of instrument.
The underground industry resists: 422 million transactions in one year
Despite regulatory tightening, the illegal market maintains considerable activity. PPATK data recorded 422.1 million online gambling transactions during the last year, with total deposits reaching 36.01 trillion rupiah. M. Natsir Kongah, the organization’s public relations coordinator, reported in January that 12.3 million people made deposits through various clandestine channels.
Major sporting events, the main catalyst for illegal gambling in Indonesia
The volume of illegal activity is not constant throughout the year. Records show sharp peaks around high-impact sporting events. Among those generating the most traffic are the UEFA Champions League qualifying phase in March 2025, the Indonesia Open in Jakarta in June, the FIFA World Cup in June and July, and the Premier League holiday period between December and January. This correlation between major competitions and increased clandestine gambling represents an additional challenge for authorities, who must intensify surveillance during very specific time windows.
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