Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs said it has blocked roughly 3.7 million gambling-related websites and pieces of online content since October 2024, and is now working with the Financial Services Authority (OJK) and commercial banks to shut down the payment channels supporting illegal gambling platforms. The disclosure, made by Communications Minister Meutya Hafid at the 2026 OJK Banking Forum in Jakarta, marks a shift in strategy from site blocking toward dismantling the financial infrastructure behind the industry.
Key Facts At A Glance
- Approximately 3.7 million gambling-related websites and content pieces blocked between October 20, 2024, and July 12, 2026
- About 38,000 suspected gambling-linked bank accounts referred to the OJK; roughly 32,500 already closed, an 85.5 percent closure rate
- Bank Central Asia recorded the highest number of flagged accounts at more than 7,000, followed by Bank Rakyat Indonesia (6,400), Bank Negara Indonesia (6,100), Bank Mandiri (4,649), CIMB Niaga (1,363) and Bank Syariah Indonesia (681)
- 156,000 suspected gambling accounts reported by the public through the ministry’s cekrekening.id portal
- 85,500 mobile phone numbers reported as suspected of use in related fraudulent activity
- Enforcement is coordinated among the ministry, OJK, Bank Indonesia, commercial banks and law enforcement agencies under the Financial Sector Development and Strengthening Law
Ministry Shifts From Site Takedowns To Financial Ecosystem
Minister Hafid told the forum that blocking access to gambling websites alone is insufficient and that authorities must dismantle the broader ecosystem, including the mule accounts used to move gambling proceeds. The ministry has reported about 38,000 suspected gambling-linked bank accounts to the OJK, of which roughly 32,500 have been closed following a verification process. Bank-level data presented at the forum showed Bank Central Asia carrying the largest concentration of flagged accounts, ahead of Bank Rakyat Indonesia, Bank Negara Indonesia and Bank Mandiri, with smaller numbers at CIMB Niaga and Bank Syariah Indonesia.
The expanded approach relies on the Financial Sector Development and Strengthening Law, which established an interagency task force linking the communications ministry, the OJK, Bank Indonesia, commercial banks and law enforcement to disrupt gambling websites, payment flows and the networks operating them simultaneously. The strategy builds on an OJK directive issued earlier in July instructing banks to conduct enhanced due diligence or block more than 36,000 accounts flagged through ministry data, an increase of over 2,000 accounts from the prior update.
Public Reporting And Detection Methods Expanding
Hafid said the ministry is moving from reactive takedowns toward pattern-based anomaly detection and faster data-sharing between its cekrekening.id reporting portal and mobile identity authorities. Public participation has contributed meaningfully to enforcement, with 156,000 suspected gambling accounts and 85,500 suspicious mobile numbers reported through the portal to date.