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The Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs has announced that the government is working on fresh regulations to handle the issue of online gambling in the country.
While online gambling is currently illegal in the country, there has been a recent rise in Indonesians placing wagers at offshore sites. Reports show that almost one million online gambling sites have been blocked, but Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya has emphasized that this figure wasn’t enough and the government need to do more than just blocking.
In a meeting with President Prabowo Subianto at the Presidential Palace on Monday (Feb 17), Meutya noted that online gambling was a serious concern for the current government and they were working on strict regulations to put an end to this trend.
“The President emphasised that handling online gambling must be stricter. One of the strategic steps that will be taken soon is the issuance of regulations in the form of Government Regulations (PP) that regulate more firmly and comprehensively,” she said.
Meutya also emphasized the importance of collaboration among the Police, Attorney General’s Office, Ministry of Communication and Digital, and other agencies to effectively combat illegal gaming in the country.
Government Measures Have Been Effective
The Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) released its quarterly evaluations for 2024 in late December, revealing a continued decline in online gambling transactions.
According to Alexander Sabar, Director General of Digital Space Supervision at the ministry, online gambling transactions surged to Rp21 trillion (around US$1.29 billion) in the first quarter of 2024. However, this figure sharply decreased to Rp16 trillion (around US$984.6 million) in the second quarter and fell even further to Rp4 trillion (about US$246.2 million) in the third quarter.
Meutya also highlighted the need to protect children in digital spaces and has asked various social media platforms to immediately block any online gambling content that they find.
Meanwhile, as Indonesians wait on the latest regulations in the country’s fight against iGaming, the crackdown continues. In early January, the Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi) Ministry announced that it had blocked 43,063 digital items in the first six days of 2025.
These digital assets encompassed various social media accounts and websites linked to illegal gambling operations. The ministry reported blocking over 700,000 items since October 2024, which included content from websites and IP addresses, as well as platforms such as Meta, file-sharing services, Google, X, TikTok, and Telegram.
Source: GamblingInsider
