Indonesia Blocks Nearly 40,000 Gambling-Linked Accounts

Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority has instructed commercial banks to block 39,923 accounts suspected of links to illegal online gambling, while expanding checks on customers and related accounts as part of a wider effort to cut payment access for unauthorized operators.

The latest figure represents an increase of 1,127 accounts since early October 2026, when regulators had identified 38,796 accounts for action.

Dian Ediana Rae, chief executive of Banking Supervision at the Financial Services Authority, said the regulator has also ordered banks to apply enhanced due diligence to customers associated with suspected gambling transactions.

“The OJK has instructed banks to perform enhanced due diligence,” Dian said, as reported by Antara News.

The measures require financial institutions to look beyond individual flagged accounts. Banks must examine other active accounts connected to the same National Identity Number, or NIK, and block those accounts where appropriate.

Enhanced due diligence involves more detailed customer checks and closer examination of transaction patterns for customers considered higher risk. The regulator is using the approach to make it harder for illegal gambling operators to replace blocked accounts with others registered under the same identity.

Banks Face Tighter Checks on Gambling-Linked Accounts

The new instructions form part of Indonesia’s continuing effort to target the financial infrastructure behind online gambling.

Banks are expected to conduct deeper reviews of customer profiles and identify complex or suspicious transaction activity. The use of NIK data means regulators can trace multiple accounts connected to one person rather than treating each bank account separately.

The latest total of 39,923 blocked accounts reflects the scale of the enforcement effort and shows that authorities continue to identify new accounts connected with suspected illegal gambling activity.

Financial monitoring has become a central part of the campaign because illegal betting networks rely on banking channels and other payment services to receive deposits and distribute funds.

Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Nezar Patria said on November 4 that agencies need to coordinate their work to cut those payment pathways.

The broader operation involves the Financial Services Authority, Bank Indonesia, the Indonesian Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center and the Indonesian National Police.

Authorities are pairing banking restrictions with investigations into the movement of funds through suspected gambling networks. Data presented by the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Agency in September showed that online gambling operations handled an estimated Rp86.8 trillion, approximately US$4.79 billion, during the first half of 2026.

That figure illustrates the volume of money moving through the illegal market despite continued enforcement.

Digital Enforcement Targets Gambling Content

Indonesia has also continued removing gambling-related material from the internet as financial regulators focus on bank accounts.

Between October 20, 2024, and September 11, 2026, authorities removed or restricted approximately 4.03 million pieces of gambling-related content.

That total formed part of 5.15 million items classified as negative online content during the same period.

The government’s approach therefore combines restrictions on access to gambling websites and promotional material with measures aimed at interrupting payment channels.

Patria has stressed that dismantling illegal operations requires agencies to address both the digital platforms used to promote gambling and the financial systems that allow operators to process transactions.

The authorities have also emphasized the cross-agency nature of the campaign, with financial regulators, law enforcement and digital authorities sharing responsibility for different parts of the enforcement process.

OJK Expands Pressure on Payment Networks

The latest banking directive places additional responsibility on commercial banks to identify connections between customers and suspected gambling activity.

Instead of stopping after a single account has been frozen, institutions must investigate whether the same NIK is connected to other active accounts. This approach is intended to limit the ability of suspected operators or intermediaries to move activity between accounts after enforcement action.

The requirement for enhanced due diligence also means banks must examine higher-risk customers more closely and assess transaction behavior in greater detail.

Indonesia has repeatedly described online gambling as a problem affecting both households and the financial system. The current action reflects a strategy of reducing access to payment infrastructure while continuing to remove gambling content from digital platforms.

With nearly 40,000 accounts now targeted and financial turnover in the illegal market reaching tens of trillions of rupiah during the first half of 2026, regulators are maintaining pressure on the banking channels used by suspected operators.