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Indonesia is stepping up its gambling crackdown, with the country’s anti-money laundering (AML) agency announcing that it froze over 28,000 bank accounts last year.

The Jakarta Globe reported that the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) says many accounts were used in bank account trading schemes.

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Criminals used many of the accounts to deposit funds on illegal gambling platforms, the agency explained. The PPATK outlined that criminals used some of the accounts to launder the proceeds of fraud and narcotics sales.

Ivan Yustiavandana, the head of the PPATK, explained that many criminals are now targeting dormant bank accounts.

As such, the agency has temporarily suspended many such accounts, concerned that more criminals could hijack them. However, the same media outlet claimed that the freeze orders have seen several bank account holders come forward with complaints.

Yustiavandana claimed that bank customers whose accounts have been suspended can reactivate their accounts with relative ease.

However, the agency has warned that citizens should take proactive steps to safeguard their bank accounts from criminals and fraudsters linked to online gambling.

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The PPATK told the public to take preventive measures, including closing unused bank accounts. The AML agency also advised citizens not to share personal data with unknown individuals.

It said Indonesians should “immediately report any suspicious transfers from unfamiliar sources to banks or law enforcement agencies.”

Indonesia’s crackdown on illegal gambling began under former President Joko Widodo. His successor, Prabowo Subianto, has since intensified the drive.

Jakarta says it has removed or blocked access to 900,000 gambling-related webpages and social media posts since Prabowo was inaugurated on October 20, 2024. The Indonesian police also recently made two arrests relating to the operation of the TAHU69 portal.

Earlier this month, the PPATK and Indonesian police announced they had frozen around $36.2 million of gambling-linked funds. At the time, Ivan said that officials had also temporarily suspended over 5,000 bank accounts.

Ivan claimed: “The core objective of this law enforcement initiative is to protect the public from the social harms of online gambling.” The agency chief warned that online betting “can also lead to the breakdown of families.”

However, some lawmakers in the country have urged Jakarta to consider legalizing casinos, following similar plans in the United Arab Emirates. The UAE is set to open its first casino in 2027.

The top Indonesian Islamic body has hit out at the proposal. An official told lawmakers to “not even think about legalizing gambling to increase state revenue.”

Another senior official explained that legalizing betting in Indonesia was “unthinkable,” explaining that gambling violates community norms.