The Indonesian government says it has blocked more than 1,000 bank accounts after their owners used them to make deposits to online casino sites.
The announcement comes from the Financial Services Authority (OJK), the country’s top anti-money laundering body, the Indonesian media outlet Antara News reported.
Since it began its crackdown in 2024, the OJK has blocked a total of 33,252 accounts using its Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD) tool.
The OJK has ordered all of the country’s commercial banks to deploy the tool. The banks use the EDD to comb transaction data for evidence of gambling-like activity.
If they detect a transaction that looks like a transfer to an online gambling platform, the banks must notify the regulator.
After additional checks, the OJK can then issue a freezing order.
Indonesian Government Using AI to Hunt Online Gamblers
“Online gambling has a broad impact on the economy and financial sector,” said Dian Ediana Rae, the OJK’s Chief Executive for Banking Supervision.
The OJK said it is also stepping up its policing of the banking sector as it looks to ensure financial providers abide by its EDD anti-gambling rules and other related protocols.
The regulator said it has revoked the business licenses of six banks as part of its campaign.
The Indonesian government is also partnering with AI startups in a bid to fight the relentless rise of online casino platforms.
Meutya Hafid, of the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi), said the government has signed deals with two domestic tech firms.
She said these firms would help provide Jakarta with machine learning-powered tools that can “detect and trace the payment infrastructure pathways frequently used in online gambling activities.”
The Komdigi chief said the startups were “creating artificial intelligence-based solutions that are relevant to the nation’s needs,” the Indonesian media outlet Indoraya News reported.
Earlier this month, police in the city of Medan said they had dismantled an online gambling syndicate with alleged ties to Cambodia.
Police arrested 19 people in a series of raids on multiple addresses across the city.
