Tim Alper is a journalist who covers betting news and regulation for CasinoBeats. He joined the CasinoBeats team in May 2025. He reports on breaking news and developments in the world of betting, casinos, and...
Read Full BioIndonesia’s top financial regulator says it has frozen a further 1,483 bank accounts reportedly linked to online gambling platforms.
The Indonesian media outlet Infobank News reported that the country’s Financial Services Authority (OJK) has blocked 27,395 online gambling-related accounts.
This marks a sharp increase from its previous total of 25,912, announced in August this year. In May, the OJK said that it had seized $36.2 million from banks it claimed had connections to online betting sites.
The regulator’s Chief Executive of Banking Supervision, Dian Ediana Rae, said the OJK has sent blocking orders to the country’s commercial banks.
OJK said its moves were “part of an effort to eradicate online gambling,” adding that web-based casinos have a “wide impact on the economy and the financial sector.”
The regulator says that it has ensured the bank account freezing orders correctly match up with its information on account holders’ gambling habits by conducting special checks.
These include enhanced due diligence (EDD) protocols and NIK verification tests. The NIK (Nomor Induk Kependudukan, or National Identity Number) is a 16-digit ID code issued by the Indonesian government to all of the country’s residents.
Indonesian Regulator: Gambling Crackdown Blind Spots Still Exist
Despite its claims of success, the regulator conceded that challenges remain in its way as it looks to freeze yet more gambling-linked accounts.
These include the lack of uniform standards for banks trying to identify account holders suspected of online gambling-related activities.
Dian acknowledged that while blind spots still exist, some banks have begun “actively implementing early detection measures.”
The OJK official said: “The standards are not yet uniform. The detection system is still developing. However, banks are now actively operating cyber patrols. They are analyzing customer behavior and screening for suspicious activity.”
Dian said the OJK is now focusing on strengthening its coordination channels with banks. The regulator wants more stringent transaction monitoring as banks look to identify suspicious accounts.
He said: “We have begun holding meetings with banks’ compliance directors. The goal is to develop a more systemic and comprehensive approach.”
Working With Local Governments, Says Regulator
The OJK added that it has instructed over 30 of its regional offices to conduct anti-online gambling campaigns in conjunction with local government organs and commercial banks.
Dian concluded: “We are conducting public education campaigns and a large-scale [crackdown]. Our offices, along with local governments and banks, are raising public awareness of online gambling.”
Earlier this month, police in the Indonesian province of Jambi warned that most of the users of the online gambling platforms it has identified are teens and younger children.
A spokesperson said that scores of elementary school students in the province now regularly place bets on gambling sites.
