The Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) has blocked 5,000 bank accounts, both individual and group, linked to online gambling cases.
Natsir Kongah, the public relations group coordinator for PPATK, stated on Saturday, June 15, 2024, that the exact value of transactions made via these accounts is still unclear.
Kongah said during an online discussion on the impact of online gambling:
So far, we have blocked 5,000 accounts. Since the head of PPATK’s statement in the first quarter of 2024, the accumulated transactions have reached Rp600 trillion (around US$36.39 billion).
He noted that most of the funds from these bank accounts have been transferred to ASEAN countries, such as Thailand, the Philippines, and Cambodia.
Kongah also revealed that about 80 percent of the 3.2 million identified online gambling players bet more than Rp100,000 (around US$6.07) on average.
The profiles of online gamblers vary widely, including students, university students, and even housewives.
“For example, if a family’s daily income is Rp200,000 (around US$12.13), spending Rp100,000 on online gambling would significantly reduce the family’s ability to meet nutritional needs,” he explained.
Reports of online gambling make up the largest share of suspicious financial transaction reports received by PPATK, accounting for 32.1 percent, followed by fraud at 25.7 percent, other criminal acts at 12.3 percent, and corruption at 7 percent.
On June 14, 2024, the Indonesian government issued a presidential decree to form an online gambling eradication task force, chaired by Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs, Hadi Tjahjanto.
The task force aims to address online gambling, which is not only illegal but also causes financial losses and social and psychological disturbances, potentially leading to crime.
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