Indonesia Police Warn Online Gambling Targets Students

Indonesia’s police leadership has raised fresh concerns about the age profile of online gambling participants, warning that many users are far younger than commonly believed and that students now make up the largest share of players.

Speaking at a February 12 event at a Brimob training facility in Cikeas, Bogor, the country’s national police chief said online gambling continues to pose a nationwide threat despite stepped-up enforcement actions. He linked the growth of the sector to rapid technological change and described digital gambling as one of the most visible examples of tech-driven crime trends.

According to the police chief, the biggest segment of online gambling users consists of high school and university students. Salaried workers form the next largest group, followed by small-scale business operators. He also flagged rising participation among minors, stressing that under-18 involvement has become a serious social risk.

He emphasized that enforcement measures alone will not solve the problem and called for broader cooperation with schools, ministries and other public institutions. Police units, he said, have been directed to work with government bodies responsible for communications and education to strengthen awareness and prevention programs.

The remarks came shortly after updated enforcement figures were presented to lawmakers. Police reported hundreds of online gambling cases handled, hundreds of suspects identified, and large volumes of assets seized. Thousands of bank accounts have been blocked and hundreds of thousands of gambling-related websites and links have been taken offline.

Financial authorities have also tightened controls on transaction channels, ordering banks to shut down tens of thousands of accounts suspected of facilitating gambling payments. Anti-money-laundering data cited by regulators indicates that online gambling transaction flows have reached very high levels through the first three quarters of the year.

Public confidence in eradication efforts, however, appears mixed. A recent survey found only a small portion of adults fully confident that police can eliminate online gambling activity, while a notable share expressed no confidence at all.

Online gambling remains illegal across Indonesia and can bring criminal penalties, including fines and prison terms. In Aceh, additional local rules apply, with stricter punishments used in some gambling cases. Authorities say future strategy will combine continued crackdowns with stronger educational outreach aimed at younger audiences.