Indonesia blocks 5,000 bank accounts tied to online gambling

Authorities say over IDR5tn had allegedly been transferred overseas.

Indonesia.- Indonesia’s financial intelligence agency, the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK), has blocked approximately 5,000 bank accounts linked to online gambling operations. The accounts are believed to have facilitated the transfer of IDR5tn (US$305m) to at least 20 countries.

PPATK’s head, Ivan Yustiavandana, did not name the countries to where funds were transferred, but the agency’s head of public relations, M Natsir Kongah, however, had previously identified several ASEAN countries, including Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Natsir said the PPATK has developed methods to trace accounts associated with online gambling and mapped the used to move money from small to large dealers.

On June 14, under Presidential Decree No. 21 of 2024, the government created a task force to tackle online gambling. It is chaired by the coordinating minister for political, legal, and security affairs Hadi Tjahjanto, with Effendy serving as deputy. It is to operate until December 31.

Gambling is banned in Indonesia and is illegal for both citizens and foreigners. Anyone found gambling can face severe fines and/or imprisonment.

See also: Indonesian president says no state aid for those who gamble online