Indonesia Orders Banks to Tighten Checks on 36,191 Suspected Online Gambling Accounts

Indonesia’s financial regulator has instructed banks to conduct enhanced due diligence or block thousands of accounts suspected of being used to support illegal online gambling, as the country expands its crackdown from websites and social media to financial infrastructure.

Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority, OJK, has ordered commercial banks to tighten checks on approximately 36,191 bank accounts suspected of being connected to illegal online gambling activity.

The regulator instructed banks to conduct enhanced due diligence on the flagged accounts and, where necessary, block them. The measure is part of a broader effort to prevent the national banking system from being used to facilitate gambling transactions, money flows and other illegal financial activity linked to online betting networks.

According to OJK, the accounts were identified using data submitted by the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs. The latest figure represents an increase from around 33,836 accounts in the previous update, adding 2,355 accounts to the list requiring follow-up action by banks.

The new instruction goes beyond simple account blocking. Banks have also been asked to close other accounts connected to the same national identification numbers, known as NIK, when those individuals are suspected of involvement in online gambling activity. This approach is designed to prevent operators and intermediaries from simply shifting transactions from one account to another after a single account is frozen.

OJK Chief Executive for Banking Supervision Dian Ediana Rae said the move is intended to protect the financial system from misuse and reduce the economic impact of online gambling. The regulator has warned that illegal betting activity can affect household finances, weaken financial stability and create wider risks for the banking sector.

For banks, the order means stronger customer-profile checks, closer review of transaction patterns and faster coordination with regulators when suspicious links to online gambling are detected. Enhanced due diligence may include verifying whether customer activity matches declared income, reviewing unusual transaction flows and assessing whether accounts are being used as payment channels for illegal operators.

The financial measures are being introduced alongside Indonesia’s wider digital enforcement campaign. The Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs has been blocking gambling content and working with major technology platforms, including Meta, to reduce the spread of gambling promotions on social media. This shows that the government is targeting not only gambling websites, but also the financial and promotional networks that keep illegal operators active.

Indonesia has one of the strictest anti-gambling positions in Southeast Asia, but online platforms continue to reach local users through offshore domains, social media spam, informal agents and payment channels. As a result, financial monitoring has become a critical part of the enforcement strategy.

The latest action signals a shift toward a more coordinated model involving OJK, Komdigi, banks and digital platforms. If implemented effectively, the blocking and enhanced due diligence process could make it harder for illegal gambling networks to process funds, recruit users and recycle bank accounts under different identities.

For the market, the message is clear: Indonesia’s crackdown is no longer limited to removing content or blocking websites. Authorities are now moving deeper into the banking layer, where the ability to trace accounts, identify linked identities and interrupt payment flows may become the most important tool in reducing illegal online gambling activity.