Indonesia blocks 1,700 bank accounts linked to online gambling

The Financial Services Authority said the number of blocked accounts will likely increase.

Indonesia.- Dian Ediana Rae, chief executive of banking supervision, says the Financial Services Authority (OJK) has taken action to block over 1,700 bank accounts associated with online gambling. During a virtual press conference on Monday (October 9), Dian said banks have been enhancing their systems to identify and block gambling-related transactions.

He said the number of blocked accounts is expected to grow as their monitoring mechanisms become more effective. The OJK has instructed banks to report blocked accounts to the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) for investigation.

Online gambling transactions reached an estimated Rp81tn in 2022, PPATK spokesman Natsir Kongah said in a discussion on August 26. According to Tempo, Kongah expressed concern about school students involved in online gambling. 

See also: Indonesia: police addressed 77 cases of online gambling so far this year