Indonesian online gambling deposits are spiking in the wake of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr for a second straight year, say government officials.
The warning came from the nation’s anti-money laundering agency, the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK), reported the Indonesian media outlet Tempo.
PPATK operates an automated transaction-monitoring platform that scans bank account activity for signs of online gambling. The agency works with major Indonesian banks, freezing accounts when it uncovers gambling-related deposits or withdrawals.
PPATK officials say they recorded a “sharp” increase in suspicious transactions suspected to be related to online gambling activities both during and immediately after the Eid al-Fitr holiday period.
The Islamic world celebrated Eid from March 19 to March 20 this year.
Online Gambling Deposits: On the Rise
The agency did not reveal the exact scale of the rise, and said it would publish official figures in April.
However, it explained that late March’s figures are significantly higher than those of January and February.
Experts told the media outlet that the fact that many people have more free time during the holiday period helped drive up gambling rates.
The PPATK chief Ivan Yustiavandana confirmed that “online gambling deposits typically increase after the end of the holiday.”
“The [sharpest] upward trend usually occurs after Eid, when money circulation increases nationwide,” he said.
Upward Trends
The data from 2025, when Eid fell on March 29-30, appears to back up the PPATK’s claim.
In January 2025, Indonesian gamblers deposited a total of IDR 2.96 trillion ($175 million) on illegal betting platforms.
The following month, deposits rose very slightly to IDR 3.05 trillion ($180 million). March saw transactions drop to IDR 2.59 trillion.
But in April, deposits shot up 96% to IDR 5.08 trillion ($300 million), before dipping to IDR 2.29 trillion ($153 million) in May 2025.
All forms of gambling are illegal in Indonesia. In recent years, the government has embarked on a sweeping crackdown on online casino apps, which remain popular despite the ban.
The crackdown has also raised considerable funds for the Indonesian Treasury. Earlier this month, prosecutors in West Jakarta transferred cash worth around $31.3 million to state coffers after shutting down an online casino and an associated money-laundering network.
But the rise in popularity of online gambling is also taking its toll on citizens’ mental health, medics have warned. Psychiatry wards in major Indonesian cities say they are being overwhelmed with an inflow of inpatients suffering from gambling addiction.
In parts of the country, some hospitals say they are already at 90% capacity. Doctors say this is helping drive gambling-related crime rates up. And civil courts throughout the nation have complained that illegal casino site addiction is also leading to higher divorce rates.
