for early access to the latest igaming videos!
and get the latest igaming news first!
Indonesia’s National Police are warning that the 2026 FIFA World Cup is likely to drive a sharp rise in illegal online gambling, setting up what officials describe as one of the more difficult enforcement periods in recent memory. The concern is tied not only to the tournament itself, but also to the scale of public attention it is expected to generate across the country.
Brigadier General Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko, head of the Public Information Bureau at the National Police’s public relations division, raised the issue at a press conference on 7 May at the TVRI building in Jakarta. The event was held at the same venue where the state broadcaster was formalizing its role as the official rights holder for the tournament in Indonesia. Police said the timing was deliberate, with TVRI’s reach seen as both an opportunity and a risk.
Police Raise Alarm
According to a press statement released by Trunoyudo on 8 May, the police must be prepared to deal with an increase in football betting and ensure that the opportunity is not misused for any illegal acts that may result in losses for people at large. It had become a matter of a rising problem as the likelihood of the World Cup producing a gambling surge in the country was real, considering that Indonesia was making its debut in the tournament, and the entire country was going to watch it with much excitement.
Gambling is considered illegal in the country according to Articles 303 and 303bis of the Penal Code. Penalties for this crime may include incarceration of up to five years and fines of $66,000 for those making bets, and ten years imprisonment and fines of $660,000 for the organizers. The government has made a number of efforts in the past few months, including blacklisting over one million gambling websites and freezing thousands of bank accounts. In March, the Financial Services Authority said it had instructed commercial banks to block 33,252 accounts after detecting gambling-related transactions.
Betting Risks Grow
The grey market continues to thrive despite all these stricter regulations. Football is always the most active period for the gray market, and the World Cup is predicted to give an additional boost. Football is definitely the most favorite sport in Indonesia, and offshore sports betting websites have been known to use a virtual private network (VPN), cryptocurrencies, and local e-wallets to contact their customers.
The Polri police have stated that the volume of gambling is always high when there are international matches, particularly those involving Indonesia’s national team. With this being Indonesia’s first World Cup qualification, there will definitely be an extra dimension of national excitement that might affect the implementation of the regulation. The tournament’s scale adds further pressure, with more matches and betting markets than previous editions.
A study released earlier this year by a US-based payments provider found that 19% of people interested in the 2026 World Cup intended to place their first-ever online bet during the tournament. Applied to Indonesia’s large football-following population, which points to a meaningful acquisition window for offshore operators willing to accept legal risk.
Enforcement Tightens
As a result, another wave of arrests has been made recently. Police arrested 321 foreigners at a commercial office located near Chinatown in Jakarta on May 9th. Authorities said the group had been operating at least 75 illegal betting websites for about 2 months and was targeting players outside Indonesia. Out of those arrested, 275 individuals were charged with gambling and money laundering, with a maximum penalty of 9 years.
As per police authorities, the crackdown mainly targeted Vietnamese citizens, along with substantial numbers from China, Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand. This crackdown was also part of the recent law enforcement activities carried out in Surabaya, Bali, and Batam. Investigators have said they are seeing a migration of transnational gambling syndicates from Cambodia and Myanmar into Indonesia, where crackdowns elsewhere have raised operational costs.
Government Steps Up
According to Communications and Digital Minister Meutya Hafid, the government will take a zero-tolerance policy towards operators preying on children and increase its efforts in terms of digital surveillance and prosecution. She noted that criminals have started using digital methods and advanced technology, adding that the government needs to improve its digital services for monitoring and prosecuting them.
Meanwhile, Polri has opened another complaint platform together with TVRI, apart from the available 110 line. It has also advised the public against watching party ticket scams that are common during big sports events. With the upcoming World Cup debut for Indonesia, along with a competition involving 48 countries, the authorities are expecting more gambling activity.
Source: Asia Gaming Brief
