Indonesia Intensifies Crackdown After Blocking 3.7 Million Suspected Gambling Sites

Indonesia has blocked 3.7 million online gambling sites and related online content linked to alleged illegal gambling since October 2024, according to Minister of Communications and Digital Affairs Meutya Hafid. The latest figures were disclosed on Tuesday in remarks made after a banking forum in Jakarta, as reported by the country’s official news agency, ANTARA.

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Millions Of Sites Removed

Hafid said the ministry had taken down 3.7 million websites and pieces of content during that period. The figure covers suspected online gambling material that authorities have moved against since the campaign began in October 2024.

The minister said the ministry has also received public reports through an online reporting platform, which identified 156,000 suspected online gambling accounts. In addition, 85,500 mobile phone numbers were reported as suspected of being used in fraudulent activities.

The ministry’s actions were previously reported in late 2024, when efforts against alleged illegal gambling were already underway. The latest update shows that the scale of enforcement has continued to grow since then.

Wider Coordination Effort

Hafid said combating online gambling requires close coordination between her ministry, government agencies, financial regulators, banks, and the Financial Services Authority. Her remarks pointed to a broader enforcement effort that goes beyond content removal alone.

She said the ministry is moving away from reactive takedowns and toward pattern-based anomaly detection. She also said data sharing is being accelerated through integrated systems, including faster transfers from the online reporting platform to mobile identity authorities.

The minister’s comments suggest that the government is trying to tighten the process for identifying and responding to suspected illegal gambling activity. The approach combines content blocking, reporting channels, and coordination with institutions involved in financial oversight.

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Banking Accounts Under Review

Alongside the blocking of online gambling content, the ministry has reported about 38,000 bank accounts suspected of being linked to online gambling. Hafid said 32,500 of those accounts have already been closed.

She said the ministry had reported the accounts to the Financial Services Authority and expressed hope that further suspect accounts could also be shut down with continued support from the banking industry. The figures indicate that financial channels remain an important target in the wider crackdown.

The inclusion of bank accounts in the enforcement effort shows that the ministry is not limiting its response to websites and online content. It is also focusing on the financial infrastructure that may be used to support suspected illegal gambling activity.

Enforcement Remains Active

The latest data from the ministry shows the scale of Indonesia’s current response to suspected online gambling. With millions of sites and pieces of content removed, along with tens of thousands of reported accounts and phone numbers, the campaign remains extensive.

Hafid’s remarks also highlight the government’s emphasis on cooperation across institutions. As the ministry continues to work with financial regulators, banks, and other agencies, the focus appears to be on improving detection and speeding up the response to suspected violations.

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Source: GGR Asia