The Financial Services Authority (OJK) has asked Indonesian banks to remove 31,382 bank accounts suspected of being linked to unlawful online gambling by 2025. This is an increase from the 30,392 accounts previously detected using data from the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs, as regulators ramp up attempts to protect the financial system and the overall economy.

This action is part of Indonesia’s bigger push to stop online gambling. Officials say it harms financial stability, hurts family budgets, and weakens the economy. While many of these platforms operate overseas, they rely heavily on domestic banking channels to process transactions, bringing financial institutions under close regulatory oversight.

 

Banks instructed to block linked accounts

Speaking at an OJK press conference on 9 January, OJK’s Head of Banking Supervision Dian Ediana Rae said banks had been instructed not only to block the identified accounts but also to carry out further investigations into how they were used.

Alongside freezing the 31,382 accounts, banks were ordered to close any other accounts linked to the same National Identification Number (NIK). Financial institutions were also directed to apply enhanced due diligence (EDD) measures to stop online gambling networks from returning to the financial system through new accounts or intermediaries.

“OJK has asked banks to block approximately 31,382 accounts, up from the 30,392 accounts previously submitted by the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology,” Dian Ediana Rae said.

According to OJK, these efforts are meant to improve banks’ capacity to identify suspicious transactions over time while cutting off financing sources for illicit gambling enterprises.

 

Enforcement builds on earlier action in 2025

The latest instruction follows a series of actions taken throughout 2025. In October last year, OJK asked banks to block 27,395 accounts suspected of being used for online gambling, up from 25,912 accounts the previous month. At the time, Dian said, “In addressing the extensive economic and financial impact of online gambling, OJK has instructed banks to block approximately 27,395 accounts.”

Those decisions were based on information from the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs as well as OJK’s own supervisory analysis. Banks were again instructed to close accounts linked to the same NIKs and to strengthen checks on unusual transactions.

At the same time, the government increased digital enforcement. Between 20 October 2024 and 16 September 2025, the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs removed more than 2.8 million pieces of harmful online content, most of which were linked to gambling. The ministry said 2.1 million items were directly related to online gambling, mainly coming from websites, file-sharing platforms, and major social media services.

 

Banking sector remains stable

Despite tighter controls on gambling-related transactions, OJK said Indonesia’s banking sector remained stable in 2025. Credit growth reached 7.74 percent year-on-year in November, up from 7.36 percent in October, with total outstanding credit at IDR 8,314.48 trillion.

Investment loans showed the strongest growth, rising 17.98 percent in November. Consumer loans grew 6.67 percent, while working capital loans increased by 2.04 percent. Third-party funds (DPK) also rose 12.03 percent year-on-year to IDR 9,899 trillion.

OJK added that liquidity and capital adequacy ratios stayed well above regulatory requirements, showing that banks were able to comply with stricter rules without affecting lending or deposit growth.

 

Balancing enforcement and economic support

According to OJK, tighter action against illegal online gambling combined with stable banking performance shows the sector’s ability to manage risks while continuing to support economic activity. Authorities hope to safeguard customers, strengthen financial institutions, and lessen the broader social and economic repercussions of illegal gambling by focusing on financial flows associated with it.

OJK has stressed the importance of cooperation between regulators, banks, and digital agencies, as gambling networks continue to adapt by changing platforms and payment methods. With enforcement expanding and monitoring becoming more detailed, the regulator has signalled that action against gambling-linked financial activity will remain a priority in 2026.

 

 

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