Bank Indonesia freezes 7,500 bank accounts linked to online gambling
Account holders are no longer able to withdraw money.
Indonesia.- Juda Agung, the deputy governor of Bank Indonesia (BI), has announced that 7,500 accounts have been frozen due to alleged links with online gambling. Holders can not use the accounts or withdraw funds.
Agung said at a press conference: “Payment service providers, both banks and non-banks, must have fraud detection system to identify accounts used for online gambling transactions and other fraud.”
Gambling in Indonesia is illegal for both citizens and foreigners. Several ministers are collaborating with the Financial Services Authority (OJK) and the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) to stop the use of payment and banking systems for online gambling. The government has also implemented a monitoring system using artificial intelligence to detect websites associated with online gambling.
Meutya Hafid, Indonesia’s communication and digital affairs minister, said authorities had taken down 380,000 pieces of online gambling content since October 20. A week ago, Hafid announced a restructuring of the communications ministry following the arrest of ten officials accused of accepting bribes from online gambling operators.
Indonesia investigates 85 influencers for allegedly promoting online gambling
The Indonesian National Police has reported that it has identified 85 influencers suspected of promoting online gambling on social media. At a press conference at the Ministry of Communication and Digital Office in Central Jakarta, commissioner general Wahyu Widada said police began investigations following the creation of the Online Gambling Eradication Task Force on November 5.
Police have classified the influencers as suspects based on evidence and testimonies from witnesses. Wahyu said that some cases are not new, as several influencers had previously engaged in online gambling promotion even if the websites they promoted are no longer operational. Their identities were not revealed.
