Indonesia’s top legal official has admitted that the country’s current efforts to combat online gambling remain insufficient.
During a meeting in Jakarta on Tuesday, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, Minister for Legal, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections Affairs, stated that “the prevention and eradication of online gambling is still not optimal.”
Shifting Focus Toward Financial Networks
Speaking at the event “Strengthening the Anti-Money Laundering Committee in Preventing and Combating Money Laundering (TPPU) Related to Online Gambling” — hosted at the Financial Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) — Yusril emphasized a need to shift strategies.
He explained that most efforts so far have targeted gambling platforms and individuals, while the financial networks behind them remain largely untouched. Therefore, the government plans to link gambling investigations with anti-money laundering initiatives to strike at the root of the problem.
“Through this approach, the government can track, freeze, and seize the proceeds of crime used to finance and expand online gambling operations,” Yusril said.
Strengthening Regional and Global Cooperation
Moreover, the minister noted that Indonesia will deepen cooperation with other countries to fight transnational organized crime tied to illegal gambling networks.
At the same event, PPATK Chair Ivan Yustiavandana revealed that online gambling transactions in Indonesia between January and October reached IDR155 trillion ($9.27 billion). Although the figure remains significant, it represents a sharp decline from IDR359 trillion ($21.47 billion) recorded in 2024.
