Indonesia seeks to block use of phone credits for online gambling

Authorities also plan to launch a mass SMS campaign.

Indonesia.- Indonesia’s Ministry of Communications and Digital Affairs has met with the Financial Transactions Reporting and Analysis Center (PPATK) and mobile operators to discuss two potential actions against illegal online gambling.

According to Antara News, authorities outlined two planned measures, including a public awareness campaign to communicate that gambling can cause financial difficulties. The ministry plans to work with mobile phone operators to send targeted SMS messages. A technical team is working to finalise the content.

The second measure would focus on preventing people from paying for gambling via phone credits. Further technical meetings will be held to develop an implementation plan. Mobile operators attending the meeting expressed their willingness to support the move.

Danang Tri Hartono, deputy for analysis and investigation at the PPATK, says his office has collected data on people involved in online gambling and the financial flows involved. In the first nine months of 2024, transactions related to online gambling reportedly totalled Rp283tn (US$17.7bn).

Hartono said the PPATK and the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs are analysing the possibility of sending warnings to identified gamblers.

See also: Bank Indonesia freezes 7,500 bank accounts linked to online gambling

Indonesian minister pledges to find solution for treatment of gambling harm

Muhaimin Iskandar, Indonesia’s human development and cultural affairs minister, has said he will work to find a solution for challenges faced by hospitals in managing the growing number of people with gambling-harm-related issues.

According to Antara News, Iskandar said hospitals were treating patients suffering from physical and psychological conditions linked to online gambling, but the national health insurer, BPJS Kesehatan, does not currently cover non-drug-related addictions. Iskandar said this gap had created financial strain for healthcare providers, as support for people with gambling-harm-related issues remains outside the insurer’s remit.

Iskandar said the programme designed to assist people with gambling-harm-related issues has not been launched yet and expressed optimism that it would not increase the burden on BPJS Kesehatan.