Indonesia has detained seven social media influencers and 19 other individuals for involvement in online gambling activities. In a population exceeding 275.5 million, all gambling activities are strictly prohibited and can lead to imprisonment for up to four years.
Nevertheless, the illicit gambling industry in Indonesia is substantial. Projections suggest that it will reach a revenue of around $19.86 million by 2027, growing steadily at a compound annual rate of 8.6%. Rough figures indicate that the current player base in the country stands at slightly over two million individuals.
We want to reiterate that the country is firmly cracking down on all forms of gambling. Indonesian President Joko Widodo recently enacted a decree to crackdown on online gambling, and announced the formation of a Task Force to eliminate illegal online gambling in the region.
A new presidential decree has given the country's financial institutions the power to monitor and confiscate "suspicious funds in accounts." Local media reports that 464 arrests have already been made and more than 67.5 billion rupees in cash (approximately $4.6 billion), 500 mobile phones, 36 laptops, 257 bank accounts and 98 gaming accounts have been confiscated. This is the largest crackdown on gambling in the country's history.
The recent presidential decree also mentioned the potential deployment of trained individuals to enhance law enforcement efforts, specifically targeting online casino operators and their customers. Indonesian Minister of Communications and Information, Budi Arye Setiadi, has established a new task force comprising personnel from the national armed forces and police. It is worth noting that nearly a million gambling websites have been shut down in the country over the last six months.
