Firm and Measurable, Government Strategy to Reduce Online Gambling Transactions by 80 Percent
By: Andi Mahesa
The government’s success in significantly reducing online gambling transactions deserves to be appreciated as an extraordinary achievement in maintaining national social and economic resilience. The latest data from the Online Gambling Eradication Task Force shows that the integrated efforts made across ministries and institutions have yielded real results. Financial transactions related to digital gambling practices fell drastically by more than 80 percent in the first quarter of 2025. If in January to March 2024 the total online gambling transactions reached an astonishing figure of IDR 90 trillion, then in the same period this year it was only recorded at around IDR 47 trillion.
This decline did not occur by chance, but rather the result of a firm, measurable strategy that was implemented collaboratively. The government, through the Task Force consisting of PPATK, the Indonesian National Police (Polri), the Ministry of Communication and Digital (Kemkomdigi), the Financial Services Authority (OJK), and Bank Indonesia, continues to demonstrate its seriousness in eradicating cybercrime that has disturbed the public.
Head of the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK), Ivan Yustiavandana, said that this downward trend brings new optimism. If this success can be maintained, then the total online gambling transactions throughout 2025 are projected to be suppressed to below 160 million transactions. This figure is an important benchmark that a data-based approach, strict supervision, and tracking of suspicious transactions are effective steps in interrupting the online gambling ecosystem that was previously so massive.
Ivan also gave high appreciation to Kemkomdigi which played a central role in this effort. The extraordinary commitment was shown through the blocking of more than 1.3 million digital contents related to gambling practices. This shows that the state is present in closing access to illegal networks that have so far harmed the public, especially vulnerable groups such as children and adolescents.
Minister of Communication and Digital, Meutya Hafid, in her statement emphasized that although progress has been achieved, the government will not be complacent. There is still a lot of homework to be completed, especially in terms of strengthening regulations and governance of digital space. Enforcement and blocking of content must be accompanied by adaptive and sustainable regulations so that the eradication of online gambling is not temporary, but becomes part of the national digital security system.
Furthermore, Meutya emphasized that this success is the result of a collective struggle. Support from various elements of society such as government institutions, civil organizations, educational institutions, and local communities is a very important social capital. According to her, the eradication of online gambling is not just a matter of cybersecurity, but a joint struggle to save the future of the nation from threats that erode the social and economic values of society.
Several strategic steps taken by the Ministry of Communication and Digital that contributed to the decline in transactions include blocking more than 1.3 million online gambling content, utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) technology in tracking suspicious transactions, limiting SIM card ownership to a maximum of three numbers per NIK, and law enforcement operations by the National Police which succeeded in confiscating assets worth more than IDR 500 billion from online gambling networks. In addition, the implementation of Government Regulation Number 17 of 2025 concerning Child Protection in the Digital Space is an important part of strengthening the overall governance of the digital space.
Synergy between institutions is the main key to this success. No single institution is able to solve complex problems such as online gambling without cross-sector coordination. Therefore, direct instructions from President Prabowo Subianto to eradicate online gambling completely become a strong political foundation for the task force to act quickly and appropriately.
The positive impact of this policy has begun to be felt by the community. In addition to the decline in the number of online gambling transactions, reports from a number of regions show a significant decline in cases of misuse of household funds, increased productivity among young people, and reduced public complaints about digital gambling activities in their environment. This shows that the domino effect of policy success does not just stop at numbers, but also touches on aspects of daily social life.
