Indonesia’s Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) has revealed that online gambling transactions in the country have reached IDR 927 trillion ($56.5 billion) between 2017 and the first quarter of 2025, underscoring the vast scale of the illegal activity and its growing impact on the national economy.
PPATK Deputy for Analysis and Examination Danang Tri Hartono described online gambling as a “silent killer” of Indonesia’s economy, noting that much of the money generated by these platforms flows abroad. “The funds leave the country, and our economy loses circulation. There is no added value created domestically,” he said.
While the economic losses are significant, authorities are increasingly concerned about the social consequences. Data from the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs (Kemenko Polkam) shows that about 70 percent of Indonesia’s online gamblers earn less than IDR 5 million ($305) per month, and many are recipients of government welfare support.
As of July 2025, more than 603,000 social aid beneficiaries were found to be involved in online gambling. “Their benefits have been suspended,” said Erika, Head of Data Protection at Kemenko Polkam. She added that the issue has evolved from being a moral problem to a multidimensional threat affecting household finances and social stability.
To address the situation, the government is deploying a three-tier strategy targeting the upstream, midstream, and downstream elements of the industry. This includes blocking domains and hosting services, conducting joint cyber patrols, and tightening financial restrictions on gambling-related transactions.
The campaign follows a pentahelix approach, which promotes collaboration among government agencies, private industry, academia, communities, and the public. Erika commended local digital wallet provider DANA for cooperating with authorities to block suspicious transactions linked to illegal betting activities.
At the financial level, PPATK has called for stronger multilateral cooperation between countries to trace and disrupt cross-border payment channels used by online gambling operators. According to the agency, the networks behind these operations are highly complex, involving mass domain registrations and the use of cross-border e-wallets, QR code payments, and even cryptocurrencies.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Communications and Digital Affairs (Komdigi) reported that total deposits to online gambling sites reached IDR 17 trillion ($1.04 billion) in the first half of 2025. The ministry has already blocked more than 7.2 million pieces of related content but said new sites and domains continue to emerge rapidly.
“We have blocked millions of pieces of content, but new ones appear just as fast. This is a global challenge that requires collective action,” said Komdigi’s Director of Digital Space Regulation, Safriansyah Yanwar Rosyadi. He emphasized that the harm caused by online gambling extends far beyond financial losses. “This practice destroys family economies and the future of younger generations,” Safriansyah said.
