Indonesia Blocks Nearly 28,000 Bank Accounts Linked to Online Gambling
Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority (OJK) has ordered local banks to block over 27,000 bank accounts allegedly connected to online gambling platforms.
Banks Ordered to Block Gambling-Linked Accounts
The OJK confirmed that 27,395 bank accounts have been blocked for suspected involvement in online gambling. The figure represents an increase from 25,912 accounts previously frozen under the same enforcement initiative.
According to Dian Ediana Rae, Chief Executive for Banking Supervision at OJK, the move is intended to protect the integrity of Indonesia’s financial system and curb the growing economic and social harm caused by online gambling.
“OJK has instructed banks to block 27,395 accounts related to online gambling,” said Dian during a press briefing on Friday.
The regulator acted on data provided by the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi), which identified account numbers linked to gambling operators.
OJK has since expanded its oversight by requesting that banks close accounts registered under matching citizen identification numbers (NIK). Financial institutions must also apply enhanced due diligence (EDD) measures to strengthen verification processes and detect high-risk activities.
“We are intensifying oversight and requiring banks to carry out deeper verification to prevent misuse of financial services for illegal purposes,” Dian added.
Tighter Cybersecurity and Risk Controls
Amid growing concerns over digital fraud, OJK has urged banks to enhance cybersecurity systems and maintain real-time monitoring of irregular or suspicious transactions. The authority emphasized that more robust defense mechanisms are necessary to counter increasingly sophisticated cyber threats targeting Indonesia’s financial infrastructure.
Digital Lending Growth Slows but Remains Stable
While the regulator cracks down on gambling-linked transactions, it also continues to monitor Indonesia’s peer-to-peer (P2P) lending industry, which remains on an upward trajectory despite a modest slowdown in growth.
Agusman, OJK’s Chief Executive for Financing and Other Financial Institutions, reported that outstanding P2P loans rose 21.62% year-on-year in August 2025, down slightly from 22.01% in July, reaching Rp87.61 trillion (around USD 5.3 billion).
The industry’s non-performing loan ratio (TWP90) improved to 2.60%, compared with 2.75% in the previous month.
“Despite slower growth, risk levels have declined, showing that the digital lending industry remains relatively stable,” Agusman said.
- Read more: Online Casinos in Indonesia
