Indonesia broadens online gambling crackdown with banking sector at the centre

Indonesia is expanding its campaign against online gambling by shifting its focus from blocking websites to dismantling the wider digital ecosystem that enables the activity, with regulators calling on banks to play a greater role in identifying and cutting off illicit financial flows.

The new approach, outlined at the OJK Banking Forum 2026 in Jakarta, brings together the ministry of communication and digital affairs (Komdigi), the financial services authority (OJK), Bank Indonesia, the banking industry and law enforcement agencies to coordinate enforcement against online gambling and related financial crimes.

Communication and digital affairs minister Meutya Hafid said the strategy is underpinned by Law No. 4 of 2026 on financial sector development and strengthening (P2SK), which establishes a cross-ministerial task force to coordinate efforts ranging from website blocking and financial disruption to law enforcement.

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"Blocking access to websites must be accompanied by severing the 'neck' of the online gambling ecosystem - the mule bank accounts that channel its funds. That is why collaboration between Komdigi, OJK, the banking industry and law enforcement agencies is key to breaking this criminal chain," Hafid said.

Komdigi said it had taken action against around 3.7 million online gambling websites and pieces of content between 20 October 2024 and 12 July 2026. Working with OJK, the ministry has also reported approximately 38,000 bank accounts suspected of being linked to online gambling, with around 32,500 accounts subsequently closed following a cleansing process.

Hafid also urged banks to strengthen Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures to identify suspicious accounts before they can be exploited by criminal networks.

"Efforts to combat online gambling will only be effective if we dismantle its entire ecosystem together. That means tackling not only the websites, but also the flow of funds, the identities of those behind the operations, and law enforcement. With stronger collaboration, we are optimistic that we can create a safer and healthier digital space in Indonesia," she said.

Banks under greater scrutiny

The banking sector has emerged as a key pillar of the government's broader strategy, with OJK tightening supervision over financial institutions' technology governance and anti-money laundering controls.

OJK reported 2.8 million rejected customer onboarding applications and 51,200 terminated banking relationships involving customers suspected of participating in online gambling.

Dian Ediana Rae, OJK's chief executive for banking supervision, said financial institutions have a central responsibility in protecting the integrity of Indonesia's financial system.

"Banks are expected to continue maintaining public trust. That is why strengthening information technology governance and preventing the misuse of banking products and services for financial crime are strategically important."

He said OJK's strategy centres on strengthening regulation, expanding risk-based supervision and improving coordination in handling accounts suspected of facilitating gambling transactions.

Suspicious transaction reports submitted by banks to Indonesia's Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK) involving gambling-related offences increased by 260.03% during 2025, reflecting both stronger monitoring and the growing scale of the challenge.

OJK chair Friderica Widyasari Dewi said the financial sector must respond to increasingly sophisticated digital scams alongside online gambling.

She added that the Indonesia Anti-Scam Centre (IASC) had received more than 608,000 reports by mid-July 2026, identified over one million reported bank accounts, blocked 557,751 accounts and helped recover almost IDR 200 billion (US$11 million) for fraud victims.

Technology platforms also face pressure

The financial crackdown follows broader efforts by Komdigi to work more closely with digital platforms.

Recently, the ministry announced a joint task force with Meta to tackle online gambling promotions, particularly spam comments targeting high-profile social media accounts. The ministry said it intends to establish similar collaborations with other platforms as gambling operators increasingly use comment sections rather than dedicated websites to reach users.

According to Komdigi, TikTok accounted for the largest share of gambling-related spam comments at 35%, followed by Facebook (28%), Instagram (22%), YouTube (10%) and X (5%). Influencers, government agencies, media organisations and public figures have become frequent targets of the tactic.

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