Indonesia Blocks Millions of Gambling Sites in Ongoing Crackdown on Online Gambling

Massive Shutdown of Gambling Platforms

The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (KOMINFO) revealed that 3,796,902 gambling websites were blocked over a span of 14 months.

These actions are part of Indonesia’s ongoing crackdown on illegal online activities, with digital payment providers being a key focus in recent months.

KOMINFO has also reported targeting over 31,000 gambling-related links on both educational and government platforms, in addition to alerting Google and Meta about tens of thousands of gambling-related keywords.

A National Concern

Teguh Arifiyadi, Director of Informatics Application Control at KOMINFO, addressed the seriousness of online gambling during a speech in August 2024.

He highlighted the economic and social damage caused by the illegal activity, noting that the transaction value had surged to nearly Rp400 trillion (around $255 million), with an estimated three million Indonesians participating in online gambling.

Arifiyadi stressed that the government remains committed to its efforts, and the success in blocking millions of websites is a testament to this resolve.

“Online gambling is a serious threat in Indonesia,” he stated, emphasizing the negative impact it has on the nation’s social fabric.

Protecting Vulnerable Populations

Budi Arie Setiadi, KOMINFO’s minister, further explained that the crackdown is part of continuous cyber patrols aimed at protecting vulnerable groups, particularly the country’s youth, from the dangers of online gambling.

The government’s proactive measures have focused not only on blocking websites but also disrupting financial networks tied to gambling.

Financial Measures: Blocking Bank and E-Wallet Accounts

The Indonesian government has worked closely with Bank Indonesia and the Financial Services Authority to target financial channels associated with online gambling.

As part of these efforts, 573 e-wallet accounts were blocked, along with nearly 7,600 bank accounts that had connections to gambling activities.

This crackdown is driven in part by concerns over the social impact of gambling.

A particularly distressing incident involved a father in East Jakarta, who reportedly sold his infant child to fund his gambling addiction, an event that further galvanized the government’s resolve to act.

Growing Transactions in Online Gambling

According to the Financial Transaction Reporting and Analysis Center, online gambling transactions in Indonesia reached a staggering 100 trillion rupiah (approximately $6.4 billion) in the first quarter of 2024 alone.

Broader Impact and International Pressure

The crackdown is part of a wider initiative announced by Indonesia’s president in June 2024, following a series of violent incidents linked to gambling addiction.

The government has also requested that international social platforms, such as X, cease promoting unlicensed gambling services to Indonesian residents.