Indonesia Blocks 3.7M Illegal Gambling Sites Since 2024

Indonesia has blocked approximately 3.7 million websites and online content linked to suspected illegal gambling since October 2024, according to Minister of Communications and Digital Affairs Meutya Hafid. The latest figures were shared on Tuesday following a banking forum in Jakarta, as reported by the state news agency ANTARA.

Authorities Remove Millions of Gambling-Related Pages

Hafid said the ministry has continued its large-scale enforcement campaign, resulting in the removal of around 3.7 million websites and digital content connected to alleged illegal gambling activities since the initiative began in October 2024.

The ministry has also received thousands of public reports through its online reporting platform. These submissions identified approximately 156,000 accounts suspected of being involved in online gambling, along with 85,500 mobile phone numbers believed to be connected to fraudulent activities.

The latest update reflects the continued expansion of Indonesia’s enforcement efforts, which first began gaining momentum in late 2024.

Government Strengthens Multi-Agency Cooperation

According to Hafid, tackling illegal online gambling requires cooperation between multiple government bodies, financial regulators, banks and the Financial Services Authority.

She explained that authorities are shifting away from relying solely on website takedowns and are increasingly using pattern-based detection methods to identify suspicious activity. The ministry is also improving data-sharing processes through integrated systems, enabling faster communication between its reporting platform and mobile identity authorities.

The strategy is intended to improve the identification of suspected illegal gambling operations while strengthening coordination among the agencies involved.

Thousands of Bank Accounts Targeted

In addition to removing online gambling content, the ministry has reported approximately 38,000 bank accounts suspected of being linked to illegal gambling operations. Hafid said that around 32,500 of those accounts have already been closed.

She added that the accounts had been reported to the Financial Services Authority and expressed hope that additional suspicious accounts would also be shut down with continued support from the banking sector.

The figures highlight the government's broader approach, which targets not only online platforms but also the financial channels believed to support illegal gambling activities.

Crackdown Continues

The latest statistics underline the scale of Indonesia’s campaign against illegal online gambling. Alongside the removal of millions of websites and online content, authorities have also acted against thousands of suspected accounts and phone numbers as part of the wider enforcement effort.

Hafid emphasized that cooperation between government agencies, financial regulators and the banking industry remains central to improving detection methods and accelerating action against suspected violations.