Indonesia entered a new phase of aggressive enforcement against illegal online gambling after national authorities linked digital betting to financial fraud, loss of social aid funds, transnational crime and growing risks ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026. The offensive was intensified this week by the government of President Prabowo Subianto as the National Police, the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs and the anti-money laundering agency PPATK coordinate website blocking, bank-account freezes and special monitoring measures ahead of the tournament scheduled from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
The immediate trigger came from two separate developments. On May 12, Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf confirmed in Jakarta that the government removed more than 11,000 social-aid beneficiaries after detecting the use of public welfare funds for online gambling activities. The cross-checking operation was conducted with the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK), led by Ivan Yustiavandana, Indonesia’s financial intelligence and AML authority. Officials stated that approximately 600,000 similar cases linked to suspicious gambling-related transactions had already been identified during 2025.
Saifullah Yusuf
One day later, the Indonesian National Police announced new preventive measures amid concerns that the FIFA World Cup 2026 could trigger a surge in illegal betting, online fraud and pirate streaming operations. Police spokesperson Brigadier General Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko confirmed that Jakarta is preparing a nationwide enforcement campaign supported by digital surveillance and public reporting through national hotline 110.
Ivan Yustiavandana
Indonesia maintains one of the world’s strictest gambling frameworks. Gambling is prohibited under Article 303 of the Indonesian Criminal Code, while the digital ecosystem is targeted through the Electronic Information and Transactions Law (ITE Law), amended under Law No. 1 of 2024, whose Article 27(2) bans the distribution or facilitation of online gambling content. Enforcement is led by the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs under Minister Meutya Hafid, which says it has blocked more than 3.2 million gambling websites and removed over 2 million gambling-related online content since 2025.
The economic scale of the issue is also alarming policymakers. Reuters reported that online gambling activity in Indonesia reached nearly USD 20 billion, equivalent to around 1.5% of GDP, while PPATK estimated approximately USD 9.4 billion in gambling-linked financial transactions during 2025. Financial authorities and the OJK have also ordered the freezing of more than 33,252 bank accounts connected to illegal betting operations since 2024.
