Online gambling crackdown: Indonesian police dismantle 75-platform network

Indonesian police have arrested 321 foreign nationals following a raid on an alleged online gambling operation in Jakarta, in one of the country's largest enforcement actions against illegal digital betting networks to date.

The suspects were apprehended at a commercial building near the city's Chinatown district, which investigators described as a hub for more than 75 online betting platforms targeting players outside Indonesia. 

The majority of those detained were Vietnamese nationals (228), followed by 57 Chinese citizens, with the remainder coming from Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and Cambodia.

According to Wira Satya Triputra, Director of General Crimes with the Indonesian National Police, the operation was structured along clear operational lines, with workers assigned to customer service, telemarketing and financial administration roles. 

Police believe the network had been active for approximately two months, with many workers having entered the country on short-term visitor visas and subsequently overstaying. 

As of Saturday, 275 of those detained had been formally named as suspects, facing potential sentences of up to nine years in prison and fines of RP 2bn ($116,000).

Authorities seized cash in multiple currencies, computers, mobile phones and passports during the operation. 

Investigators are continuing to trace those behind the financial backing of the network.

Officials from Indonesia's Interpol bureau noted that similar operations have recently been uncovered in Surabaya, Bali and Batam, suggesting a broader shift in transnational gambling syndicates relocating from Myanmar and Cambodia following enforcement action in those countries.

The Jakarta arrests are the latest development in a sustained national campaign against illegal online gambling. 

Last month, Indonesia's Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs reported removing more than 3.29 million pieces of online gambling-related content since late 2024, while earlier this year the Financial Services Authority ordered banks to block over 30,000 accounts suspected of being linked to illegal betting activity.