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Indonesia made a real headway against online gambling in 2025, with the total amount of money flowing through these illegal activities dropping 20 percent to Rp286.84 trillion, or about $19 billion. That marks a significant pullback from the Rp359.81 trillion seen in 2024, according to fresh data from the country’s Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center, known as PPATK. Officials released the numbers as part of a broader look at financial movements and red flags within the banking system, signaling the first decline since authorities ramped up coordinated efforts between government agencies and private companies. Even with the lower dollar figure, activity levels stayed alarmingly high—PPATK tallied 422.1 million transactions and Rp36.01 trillion in deposits, down from Rp51.3 trillion the year prior. Participation didn’t budge much either, with 12.3 million people funneling money through banks, e-wallets, and QRIS codes.
Enforcement Measures Start to Bite
PPATK credits the downturn squarely to smarter strategies and tight teamwork across sectors, which have choked off funding pipelines for what locals call “judol.” Public Relations Substantive Group Coordinator M. Natsir Kongah emphasized how effective collaboration has curbed both deposits and overall circulation. From September 2023 through December 2025, Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority directed banks to freeze more than 30,000 accounts tied to gambling, pushing the tally to 31,382 by early January. Lenders now shut down any accounts sharing the same national ID numbers and roll out tougher due diligence to keep networks from slipping back in. From late October 2023 until the middle of September 2024, digital agencies removed close to 2.8 million harmful items on the web, including 2.1 million items that were flagged as having associations with betting websites. Through the third quarter of 2024, the total dollar amount of the overall transactions dropped by 57 percent compared to the previous year to Rp155 trillion; this demonstrates that the trend is gaining more momentum.
Suspicious Activity Reports Surge Across the Board
Online gambling still dominated PPATK’s radar for shady dealings, topping the list in a year that saw 183,281 suspicious financial reports—47.49 percent tied to fraud, another 18.71 percent to more fraud schemes, and 5.73 percent to corruption cases. There were a total of 42,723,286 reports received; this is a 25.5 percent increase over the 35,650,984 received last year. This increase indicates that more banks and similar entities have become better at identifying potentially risky transactions. According to Kongah, a huge influx of money has been deposited through regular banking transactions (e.g., via bank), digital payment systems (e.g., digital wallets), and quick response codes (e.g., QRIS). This indicates that the issue continues to be deeply embedded within Indonesia, even though the overall number of transactions is declining.
Annual Meeting Underscores Progress Toward FATF Goals
PPATK Head Ivan Yustiavandana kicked off the agency’s January 28 Annual Reporting Meeting in Jakarta by spotlighting the 20 percent turnover drop as a milestone. He framed it as proof that public-private partnerships are delivering results, positioning Indonesia well for the FATF Mutual Evaluation Review slated for 2029 or 2030. The gathering reinforced how these gains stem from sustained pressure on financial flows, even as payment methods evolve.
Payment Innovations Pose New Tracking Hurdles
While QRIS usage jumped ahead of traditional banks and e-wallets, making enforcement trickier, PPATK notes funds often morph into cryptocurrency to dodge blocks. This shift tests regulators’ adaptability, but account freezes and content removals demonstrate tangible impact.
Ongoing Fight Targets Stubborn Scale
The 20 percent decline and shrinking deposits highlight enforcement taking hold, bolstered by cross-sector coordination. High transaction counts and payment adaptations signal persistent challenges, but steps like heightened reporting pave a stronger path toward FATF readiness and cleaner financial rails.
Source: SiGMA
