Indonesian authorities have arrested another social media influencer accused of promoting online gambling sites, marking the latest in a growing number of prosecutions targeting digital content creators involved in the country’s ongoing online gambling crackdown.
Police in the Hulu Sungai Utara (HSU) Regency charged a 22-year-old woman with several offenses related to the promotion of illegal gambling portals. Local outlet Radar Lamongan reported that Nab has admitted to accepting payment in exchange for uploading promotional videos containing links to online casino platforms.
According to investigators, one of the videos included images of online casino games. Nab, who has around 25,400 followers, listed her availability for product endorsements in her Instagram bio. Police said she received gambling-related promotional material via WhatsApp from an individual using the alias “Queen Fanta Slot.”
Officers from the Criminal Research Unit of the North Hulu Sungai Police Force reportedly searched Nab’s residence, seizing her phone, items of clothing allegedly used for filming, and access to her e-wallet and Instagram account. The e-wallet, operated through local payment app DANA, was allegedly used to receive payments from the intermediary.
Authorities said Nab will be charged under provisions of Indonesia’s gambling and electronic transactions law, which was amended in 2024 to include e-payment channels linked to gambling activity. The promotional posts have since been deleted but were originally uploaded in September. The case follows a series of similar arrests involving young female influencers accused of using their social media profiles to market gambling sites.
Earlier this month, the Denpasar District Court sentenced 19-year-old influencer Vienna Varella Angeli Parinussa to 18 months in prison and fined her IDR30 million ($1,812) after she was found guilty of taking payments to post gambling links on Instagram. The sentencing sparked public outrage after Vienna was photographed making an obscene gesture outside the courtroom.
In August, another influencer, Nia, aged 21, from Buleleng Regency, received a 10-month jail term and fines totaling IDR6 million ($362) for similar offenses. The court cited leniency in her sentencing due to her role as the primary caregiver of a young child.
