Government and Private Sector Strengthen Collaboration to Eradicate Online Gambling, Thousands of Accounts and Bank Accounts Frozen
By: Aulia Sofyan Harahap)*
Efforts to eradicate online gambling in Indonesia are being strengthened through collaboration among the government, private sector, and the public. PT Visionet Internasional (OVO) has relaunched its campaign “Gerakan Bareng Ungkap Judi Daring” (Gebuk Judol) – the second round – as a concrete form of the company’s support for the government’s initiative to shut down the space for these illegal activities.
OVO President Director, Karaniya Dharmasaputra, stated that his company aims to play a role not only as a digital financial service provider but also as part of the solution in facing national challenges like online gambling. He emphasized that online gambling is not merely a legal violation, but also a threat to the future of Indonesia’s golden generation, and thus requires collective efforts to address it.
Karaniya explained that during the first round of Gebuk Judol, OVO received tens of thousands of reports from the public, with around 11,000 deemed valid. Of those, 4,500 accounts were proven to be involved in online gambling. These accounts were immediately blocked, and the information was forwarded to the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) and the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi) for further legal processing. He asserted that the results show that cooperation between the private sector, regulators, and the public can deliver real, positive impact in combating this illegal practice.
According to Karaniya, the second round of Gebuk Judol aims to strengthen the spirit of digital mutual cooperation and promote a secure financial ecosystem. He added that the program also aligns with national values that reject gambling as a threat to public welfare.
Deputy for Analysis and Examination at PPATK, Danang Tri Hartono, praised OVO’s initiative for raising public awareness on reporting online gambling activities. According to PPATK data, online gambling transactions decreased by up to 80 percent during January–March 2025, with a total of approximately 39.82 million transactions. He noted that such initiatives should be expanded, as they have proven to strengthen the reporting ecosystem and support government efforts to create a safe and trustworthy digital space.
Meanwhile, the Financial Services Authority (OJK) has also taken firm steps to cut off banking access used by online gambling actors. Head of the OJK’s Banking Supervision Executive, Dian Ediana Rae, stated that they have instructed banks to block 25,912 accounts suspected to be linked to online gambling—up sharply from 17,026 accounts recorded in the previous month. This data was obtained from Komdigi and served as the basis for banking sector prevention measures.
Dian also explained that OJK has asked banks to close accounts linked to the owner’s national identity number and to tighten monitoring through Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD). He noted that cyber threats to the financial sector are becoming more organized, thus requiring banks to improve early detection systems for anomalous transactions that may indicate fraud. He stressed that this step is part of the government’s strategy to maintain economic stability and protect the public from the negative impact of illegal activities.
The second round of the Gebuk Judol program, running from July 21 to August 20, 2025, provides reporting channels through the official Gebuk Judol website and the OVO app’s help center. As a token of appreciation, the top three reporters with the highest number of valid reports will receive a total prize of IDR 60 million in OVO Cash and OVO Points.
Karaniya emphasized that this initiative is not merely a company campaign, but a moral responsibility to support government policy in combating online gambling. He noted that private sector involvement is a vital part of the national strategy to eradicate illegal activities that harm both society and the economy.
The government hopes that such collaborations can serve as a strategic cooperation model going forward in tackling similar challenges. The synergy between regulators, banks, private companies, and the public is expected to significantly restrict the movement of online gambling actors, safeguard the financial sector’s stability, and foster a healthy digital environment that supports national economic growth.
With increasingly coordinated efforts from the government, private sector, and the public, the fight against online gambling in Indonesia is showing tangible results. The second round of Gebuk Judol initiated by OVO, along with OJK’s firm action to block tens of thousands of related accounts, is clear evidence that cross-sector collaboration can more effectively shut down illegal actors’ activities.
These efforts focus not only on cutting off illegal transactions but also on raising public awareness to actively participate in maintaining a healthy digital ecosystem. The synergy formed is expected to become a strong foundation for reducing online gambling cases in the future, while also supporting the creation of a secure digital space, a stable national economy, and protecting future generations from the dangers of illegal activities.
*) Public Policy Analyst – Bentang Nusantara Institute for Public Policy Studies
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