By : Nancy Dora )*
Eradication of online gambling in Indonesia is no longer just rhetoric, but has entered a concrete stage with a systematic, coordinated, and cross-sectoral approach. The state is present with all its resources to close the gaps that have been exploited by cybercriminals to reap huge profits from these illegal practices. Collaboration between financial institutions, regulators, law enforcement, and other stakeholders shows that eradicating online gambling is a national priority that touches on economic, legal, and social security aspects.
The Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) is at the forefront of tracing and freezing the flow of funds from online gambling activities. With a “follow the money” approach, PPATK identifies suspicious transactions disguised in various forms of assets, from bank accounts to digital assets such as cryptocurrencies. The tracing does not stop at conventional financial transactions, but rather extends to digital assets which are now a new medium for perpetrators to disguise illegal funds.
PPATK Public Relations Group Coordinator Natsir Kongah underlined the effectiveness of this strategy in suppressing the circulation of online gambling money, although the challenges are still great. PPATK has the capability to trace the relationship between assets owned and perpetrators of crime, even involving crypto service providers who are now required to report suspicious activities. This step shows significant progress in strengthening the national financial supervision system, especially for activities that are difficult to detect with the naked eye.
On the other hand, the Financial Services Authority (OJK) plays an important role in restructuring the banking system so that it does not become a soft medium for online gambling activities. OJK recorded the blocking of more than 17,000 accounts affiliated with Online Gambling practices until May 2025. Although this blocking has succeeded in slowing the growth of the number of suspicious accounts, OJK realizes that a purely reactive approach is not enough. Therefore, strengthening regulations is a priority agenda.
OJK’s Chief Executive of Banking Supervision, Dian Ediana Rae, emphasized the need for systemic improvements that not only target active accounts, but also dormant accounts that suddenly become active and are used for suspicious transactions. According to her, the diversity of parameters between banks in detecting online gambling transactions is actually a loophole exploited by perpetrators. Therefore, OJK is designing new regulations that are able to unify the standards for bank detection and response to suspicious accounts.
This is in line with the view of OK Bank’s Compliance Director, Efdinal Alamsyah, who assessed that the current monitoring system is inadequate to deal with increasingly sophisticated new modes. The perpetrators are now utilizing loan accounts or disguising the flow of funds through unusual transaction patterns. In fact, accounts that have been inactive for a long time can be used again without early detection. He emphasized the importance of a uniform red flag and a legal umbrella for banks so that they can carry out preventive blocking without worrying about legal risks.
The push to unify monitoring criteria was also conveyed by the General Chairperson of the Indonesian Payment System Association (ASPI), Santoso Liem. He saw the importance of standardizing dormant criteria and other parameters to ensure that early detection can be carried out sharply and on target. This uniformity will not only increase the effectiveness of enforcement, but also encourage banks to be more proactive in filtering transactions that have the potential to violate the law.
This cross-sector synergy is real evidence of the state’s seriousness in closing the room for online gambling perpetrators. Not only financial institutions, but also law enforcement agencies, such as the Police and the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs, are involved to ensure that aspects of legal enforcement run parallel with prevention efforts in the financial realm. The disclosure of large online gambling networks, such as the 1XBET, W88, and Liga Ciputra sites, as well as the arrest of 18 suspects with evidence reaching billions of rupiah, is proof that the state is not sitting idly by.
However, long-term success is not only determined by the technical capabilities of these institutions. Progressive, adaptive, and legally strong regulatory support is needed so that every actor involved in this eradication ecosystem has a solid basis for action. Uniform regulations will provide legal certainty to banks in acting quickly, while providing protection to the public from becoming victims of manipulation or system errors.
With the active involvement of PPATK, OJK, banking, and other law enforcement agencies, the state has shown a strong signal that there is no tolerance for illegal practices that damage the foundations of people’s lives. The collaboration that occurs is not just administrative coordination, but a real form of a national movement against digital crime. This is a strong foundation that Indonesia is capable and serious about upholding its digital sovereignty, while maintaining socio-economic stability from hidden threats posed by online gambling.
This cross-sector synergy deserves to be appreciated as a progressive and strategic step that not only answers today’s problems, but also builds the foundation of national resilience in facing digital challenges in the future. With strong regulations, close coordination, and fair law enforcement, Indonesia is on the right track to closing all space for online gambling in its financial ecosystem.
*The author is an Anti-Online Gambling Activist