*) By: Andi Mahesa
The government continues to demonstrate its commitment to protecting the public from the disturbing threat of illegal digital economy, one of which is online gambling practices. Recently, the Financial Services Authority (OJK) again took firm steps by blocking 10,016 bank accounts identified as affiliated with online gambling activities. This number has increased significantly from the previous 8,618 accounts. This step is also real evidence that the state is not remaining silent in the face of increasingly rampant digital-based economic crimes. Online gambling practices not only damage public morals, but also threaten the economic resilience of families, encourage criminal practices, and create significant economic losses.
OJK’s Chief Executive of Banking Supervision, Dian Ediana Rae, emphasized that her party will continue to develop supervisory and prevention measures against online gambling practices. OJK has asked banks to close accounts that have matching Population Identification Numbers (NIK) and implement an enhanced due diligence (EDD) mechanism to ensure that every account affiliated with online gambling can be followed up immediately.
Not only that, Dian also said that in the future, OJK together with the Illegal Financial Activities Handling Task Force (Satgas PASTI) will carry out a full blocking for individuals affiliated with online gambling, even if they have more than one account in various banks. OJK has asked banks to close all accounts that have the same Customer Information File (CIF), so that perpetrators can no longer take advantage of banking administrative loopholes to continue their illegal practices.
This strategic step is part of the Government’s efforts to build a healthy, safe and responsible national financial ecosystem. Online gambling not only damages individuals, but also disrupts the stability of the financial services sector, including banking.
In addition to online gambling practices, OJK also continues to strengthen supervision of various other illegal financial activities, such as illegal online loans (pinjol). The Chief Executive of the Financial Services Business Actors’ Behavior Supervision, Education, and Consumer Protection of OJK, Friderica Widyasari Dewi, said that since early 2025, the PASTI Task Force has succeeded in closing 1,123 illegal pinjol entities. Not only that, the PASTI Task Force has also submitted a blocking request for more than 1,600 contact numbers to the Ministry of Communication and Digital. This is done as part of the government’s efforts to clean up the digital ecosystem from illegal practices that harm the public.
According to Friderica, the Indonesia Anti-Scam Center (IASC) has received 79,969 reports as of March 31, 2025. Of that number, 82,336 accounts have been reported as being affiliated with illegal activities, and OJK has successfully blocked 35,394 accounts. Based on this data, it reflects how great the threat of digital economic crime is to the Indonesian people.
What is more concerning is that the total loss to the community that has been reported has reached Rp1.7 trillion. However, the government’s quick steps have succeeded in blocking the victim’s funds amounting to Rp134.7 billion. This is proof that the state is present and working hard to protect its people from the snares of digital economic crime.
This action by OJK shows the synergy between government institutions in eradicating online gambling that can damage the country’s economic and financial order. By blocking accounts and strict supervision, the government is trying to break the chain of funding that flows through the banking sector into the illegal gambling industry. This step also sends a clear message that the government will not allow online gambling to develop and damage the economic and social stability of society.
The development of digital technology has indeed provided convenience in various aspects of life, including financial services. However, on the other hand, the gaps for crime are also increasingly wide open. Online gambling, illegal online loans, and various other illegal financial practices continue to lurk in society, especially those who lack digital financial literacy.
Therefore, efforts to eradicate digital crime cannot only be burdened on the government and OJK alone. The community must have collective awareness to protect themselves and their environment from this threat. The active role of the community in reporting online gambling practices or other digital economic crimes to the authorities is very important.
In addition, the public also needs to continue to improve financial literacy and be aware of digital-based fraud modes. Do not be easily tempted by the lure of instant profits from online gambling or unofficial online loan offers. Always make sure to use financial services that are supervised by the OJK and other official institutions.
Through these firm steps, it can be seen how great the government’s commitment is in creating a safer digital space for the community. The success of blocking six million online gambling sites is an achievement that cannot be underestimated. This is proof that the government is working hard to create a healthy digital environment and reduce the potential losses that can be caused by illegal gambling practices.
However, this success is not only the government’s responsibility. The public also needs to have awareness and active participation in keeping the digital space safe. One way that the public can do is by reporting online gambling sites found on various social media platforms to law enforcement. Public participation in efforts to eradicate online gambling is very important, because they are the parties who are directly connected to the digital ecosystem and can be the eyes and ears of the government. So, together we maintain a healthy and safe digital ecosystem for future generations.
*) The author is a student who lives in Jakarta.