Government Seriously Eradicating Online Gambling, Deposits Drop Drastically and IDR 530 Billion Confiscated
Jakarta – The government continues to demonstrate its commitment to eradicating online gambling practices in Indonesia. The synergistic efforts made by the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) together with the Indonesian National Police have yielded significant results in the first quarter of 2025. One of which is reflected in the drastic decrease in the value of online gambling transaction deposits.
PPATK Head Ivan Yustiavandana revealed that the value of online gambling deposits throughout January-March 2025 reached IDR 6.2 trillion. This amount has decreased sharply compared to the same period in 2024 which reached IDR 15 trillion.
“So, people deposited money to gamble online, IDR 15 trillion in the first three months of last year. Now it can be reduced to IDR 6.2 trillion. This is a real achievement,” he said at the National Police Criminal Investigation Unit Building.
Ivan also explained that during that period, the number of online gamblers was recorded at 1,066,000 people. The majority of players, around 71 percent, are people with incomes below Rp5 million. “71 percent are our brothers and sisters who are still in need. Actually, that income is needed for other interests,” he said.
Even more concerning, PPATK noted that there were 400 players under the age of 17, while the 20-30 and 31-40 age groups contributed around 396,000 and 395,000 players respectively. “(Online gambling) has targeted any age segment and any profession,” explained Ivan.
PPATK also noted five regions with the highest online gambling transactions, namely West Java, DKI Jakarta, Central Java, Banten, and East Java. “DKI Jakarta, which was in fifth place last year, has now risen to second place. This continues to move,” he said.
Meanwhile, the National Police Criminal Investigation Unit has successfully uncovered and arrested two suspects of money laundering (TPPU) related to online gambling with the initials OHW and H. Both are leaders of shell companies that play a role in disguising the flow of funds from online gambling.
The National Police Criminal Investigation Unit Chief Commissioner General Wahyu Widada said that the arrests were the result of coordination between National Police investigators and the PPATK. “Starting from information about online gambling transactions, investigators then coordinated with the PPATK so that we could trace the alleged online gambling and TPPU,” explained Wahyu in a press conference at the National Police Headquarters, Jakarta.
Wahyu added that the suspects’ efforts in “layering” or circulating money through many accounts and fictitious companies were intended to make tracking difficult. The police also blocked 197 accounts spread across eight banks.
Closing his statement, the Head of the PPATK emphasized his institution’s ongoing commitment to continue to narrow the scope for digital economic crime. “God willing, the hard work that has been done and the actions taken without discrimination will continue to be able to protect the interests of the public in general,” concluded Ivan.
