Indonesia shuts down 130+ illegal gambling sites and freezes about US$15.2m linked to online betting networks

Police say the Cybercrime Directorate acted on PPATK financial-intelligence reports, taking down 132 illegal gambling websites and temporarily freezing transactions worth IDR 255.75bn (≈US$15.2m) as part of a wider effort to disrupt online gambling infrastructure.

Indonesian police have intensified their crackdown on illegal online betting by closing 132 gambling websites and temporarily freezing IDR 255.75 billion (about US$15.2 million) in transactions suspected to be connected to the networks behind those sites.

Authorities say the action was triggered by intelligence from PPATK (Indonesia’s Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center), which sent dozens of analytical reports tied to suspicious transfers and gambling-linked payment flows.

The operation reflects a broader enforcement approach: rather than only blocking URLs, investigators are increasingly aiming at the financial “pipes” that keep illegal platforms running—freezing transaction value, tracing proceeds, and pursuing asset recovery. In a separate official update, Indonesia’s National Police said it has already handed over IDR 58.18 billion in proceeds from money laundering and online gambling cases for execution into state revenue channels, underscoring the asset-focused strategy.

With payment flows under tighter scrutiny and cooperation between cybercrime units and financial-intelligence agencies deepening, illegal operators may find it harder to scale—though enforcement will likely remain a continuous cycle of takedowns, domain migrations, and financial tracing as networks adapt.