According to data released by the Indonesian Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK), from January to March 2025, approximately 1.07 million people nationwide participated in online gambling. Ivan Yustiavandana, the head of the center, revealed this information at a press conference held by the National Police Criminal Investigation Department.
Yustiavandana expressed concern about the socioeconomic status of those involved in gambling. He noted, "71% of gamblers have a monthly income below 5 million Indonesian Rupiah and are still struggling to cover basic living expenses."
Despite the large number of people involved in gambling, there has been a significant decline in related financial flows. The PPATK report shows that the total deposits for online gambling in the first quarter of this year amounted to 6.2 trillion Indonesian Rupiah, significantly lower than the 15 trillion Indonesian Rupiah in the same period of 2024.
"This decrease indicates that some of the intervention measures we have implemented are starting to have an effect," Yustiavandana stated. He attributed this decline to coordinated crackdowns by law enforcement agencies and intensified public awareness campaigns, but also acknowledged that the problem of online gambling remains severe.
In Indonesia, online gambling is illegal, and regulatory challenges and social risks continue to exist. To curb illegal gambling activities, authorities have intensified monitoring of related suspicious financial transactions and expect to introduce more policy measures to combat unregulated gambling platforms and their associated illegal financial flows.
