Government Intensifies Online Gambling Crackdown Through Digital Mapping and Inter-Agency Synergy
By: Arman Panggabean
The government’s efforts to eradicate online gambling are showing tangible results through a more comprehensive, data-driven strategy. By adopting an inter-agency approach, the Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi) has strengthened content mapping as a national strategy to dismantle networks of websites and digital platforms that facilitate illegal gambling activities.
This approach goes beyond merely blocking gambling websites; it involves a thorough mapping of the digital ecosystem often exploited by perpetrators to spread gambling content covertly. This strategy marks a significant milestone in securing Indonesia’s increasingly complex digital space.
Minister of Communication and Digital Meutya Hafid emphasized that the government is now implementing a more systematic strategy to tackle the proliferation of online gambling sites and content across various platforms. She reported that Komdigi successfully shut down millions of sites and content in a short period. Based on collected data, between October 20 and November 2, 2025, Komdigi acted against more than 2.4 million sites and content suspected of containing online gambling elements.
Most of this content was found across various digital platforms, including file-sharing services, which are often used to store files containing covert gambling content. The approach not only blocks access but also traces the sources and patterns of content distribution to prevent the reemergence of similar sites.
Meutya noted that some content on file-sharing platforms is not purely gambling-related, yet it remains a concern because it is often used to embed links or promote online gambling. From the mapping results, more than 123,000 contents were found on file-sharing services, over 106,000 on Meta platforms, 41,000 on Google and YouTube, 18,600 on X (Twitter), and thousands more on Telegram, TikTok, Line, and the App Store.
The government is now encouraging closer collaboration with digital platform providers to ensure effective internal filtering or sub-censorship systems. Such cooperation is crucial so that any online gambling content can be quickly identified and removed before it spreads widely. Authorities are also urging global platforms to strengthen automatic detection of keywords and upload patterns potentially associated with gambling activities.
In a broader context, the anti-online gambling policy is now based on concrete data to ensure measurable results. Komdigi has partnered with the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) to ensure that efforts target not only content but also the financial activities behind it.
Through this collaboration, Komdigi and PPATK intensively monitor financial transactions related to online gambling. Recent data from this coordination indicates a roughly 70 percent decrease in gambling-related financial activity, with transaction volumes now around IDR 155 trillion.
PPATK Head Ivan Yustiavandana confirmed that inter-agency collaboration successfully suppressed online gambling transactions significantly in 2025. According to the agency’s monitoring, total online gambling transactions in 2024 reached IDR 359 trillion, but by the third quarter of 2025, the figure had dropped to IDR 155 trillion.
The reduction of more than half of the total transaction value, according to Ivan, is proof that Komdigi’s content mapping, combined with PPATK’s financial oversight, has a tangible impact in breaking the chain of online gambling activities. He views this collaboration as a concrete example of effective, measurable inter-agency synergy.
Ivan explained that this decline not only reflects success in the technology sector but also the result of efforts to close digital financial loopholes previously exploited by online gambling networks. With strong coordination, PPATK can now more rapidly identify suspicious transaction patterns, trace sources of funds, and provide follow-up recommendations to law enforcement authorities.
The synergy between PPATK, Komdigi, and other relevant agencies represents a strategic step showcasing the government’s new approach to safeguarding national digital space. The government now acts not only reactively but also performs digital mapping to analyze how online gambling content spreads, who is involved, and how funds move across platforms and borders.
Ivan sees this achievement as the result of government commitment under President Prabowo Subianto’s leadership, prioritizing the eradication of online gambling. Under the president’s coordination, ministries and relevant agencies continue to strengthen oversight, law enforcement, and digital access blocking policies.
In various forums, including the APEC Forum, the President emphasized Indonesia’s seriousness in addressing cross-border digital gambling issues. This commitment strengthens international confidence in Indonesia’s efforts to maintain cyber stability and demonstrates the government’s dedication to protecting society from the socio-economic harm caused by online gambling.
With increasingly robust policy support, content mapping and financial monitoring are now integral parts of the national online gambling eradication strategy. The government no longer merely blocks sites but also builds monitoring systems capable of detecting and preventing the emergence of new, similar sites.
Reducing online gambling activity by more than 50 percent reflects a paradigm shift in combating digital crime in Indonesia. Technology-driven, data-based, and inter-agency collaborative approaches are now the main foundation for creating a healthy and competitive digital space.
The government also encourages public participation in reporting suspicious content, enabling law enforcement to act faster and more comprehensively. Public involvement is expected to further restrict the operational space of digital crime actors who continually seek new loopholes.
Overall, the digital mapping strategy implemented by Komdigi, PPATK, and other agencies marks a new chapter in combating online gambling in Indonesia. This effort not only targets crime but also builds a long-term digital protection system.
The government asserts that the fight against online gambling is not merely a legal or moral issue but part of maintaining the nation’s social, economic, and digital resilience. With increasingly precise data and solid inter-agency synergy, the government’s commitment to creating a safe, clean, and dignified digital space is now firmly on track.
(Social Policy Observer – Madani Institute for Social Affairs)
