Government Consistently Conducts Digital Space Monitoring to Limit Online Gambling Promotional Content
)* Wahyu Bima Prasetyo
The Indonesian government has shown a serious commitment to eradicating online gambling which is increasingly rampant in the digital space. Various strategic steps have been taken by the National Cyber and Crypto Agency (BSSN) and the Ministry of Communication and Digital (Kemkomdigi) to suppress this illegal activity.
BSSN revealed that detection of online gambling content, especially on government sites, is carried out with intensive monitoring 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This monitoring includes checking domains and sub-domains using docking techniques on Google to track URLs that are suspected of being online gambling. In addition, routine patrols on the dark web and deep web are also carried out to identify suspicious activities that have the potential to be detrimental.
In this effort, BSSN detected 376 URLs suspected of being related to online gambling throughout 2025 from 78 government agencies. Most of the URLs have been blocked, although 112 of them are still in the process of being deactivated. In addition, 78 cases of web defacement were found on government sites, the majority of which involved inserting online gambling URLs hidden in the site code. BSSN explained that perpetrators usually infiltrate government sites to insert illegal links that are difficult to detect directly, because the site appearance looks normal.
As part of the handling, BSSN identified 3,908 URLs from government domains that were affected by online gambling content. The next step is to work with the Ministry of Communication and Digital to block these sites. To date, most of the URLs have been successfully deactivated, although supervision is still needed to prevent similar problems in the future.
On the other hand, the Ministry of Communication and Digital also plays an important role in supervising the digital space. Based on the evaluation of the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK), online gambling transactions in Indonesia showed a significant decline throughout 2024. Quarterly data shows that transactions in the first quarter reached IDR 21 trillion, fell to IDR 16 trillion in the second quarter, and dropped drastically to IDR 4 trillion in the third quarter.
Kemkomdigi explained that this decline reflects the effectiveness of the government’s online gambling monitoring and eradication measures. This handling is based on three main regulations, namely Law Number 1 of 2024 concerning the Second Amendment to the Electronic Information and Transactions Law (UU ITE), Government Regulation Number 71 of 2019 concerning the Implementation of Electronic Systems and Transactions, and Regulation of the Minister of Communication and Informatics Number 5 of 2020 concerning Private Electronic System Organizers.
Kemkomdigi has implemented several steps to handle online gambling, such as monitoring and blocking access to related sites and applications, and utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) technology to filter and verify illegal content. In addition, telephone numbers and instant messaging applications that are suspected of being used for online gambling transactions have also been submitted for blocking.
From 2017 to early 2025, Kemkomdigi noted that more than 5.7 million online gambling content has been successfully handled. This achievement is supported by the high integrity of the team on duty. Every employee involved is required to sign an integrity pact, while periodic assessments are carried out to ensure work effectiveness and alignment with the government’s vision in creating a safe digital space.
According to Kemkomdigi, digital space supervision also involves providing technical training and direct supervision of internet service providers to ensure synchronization with the trustpositif database. This step aims to minimize the potential for leaks and increase the resilience of Indonesia’s digital infrastructure.
However, even though various steps have been taken, challenges remain. Online gambling actors continue to innovate in finding loopholes to carry out their activities. Therefore, the government considers it necessary to increase the digital literacy of the community so that they are more sensitive to the dangers of online gambling and are able to report suspicious activities.
The government’s success in reducing the number of online gambling transactions is clear evidence that strict supervision and the application of technology can have a significant impact. The decrease in transactions from IDR 21 trillion to IDR 4 trillion in less than a year reflects that the strategic steps taken are on the right track.
However, this success must be used as motivation to strengthen efforts in the future. Cross-institutional collaboration, strengthening regulations, and improving technological infrastructure must continue to be carried out so that Indonesia’s digital space is free from crime.
