Bareskrim Completes Rp55 Billion Online Gambling Case, Strengthening Payment Gateway is Considered Urgent

JAKARTA - The Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police has completed the investigation of an online gambling case with evidence worth Rp. 55 billion. The system in the payment gateway needs to be strengthened so that online gambling transactions can be closed tightly.

The Directorate of Cyber Crime of the Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police stated that the case file that ensnared a number of suspects had been declared complete (P21) by prosecutors from the Attorney General's Office of the Republic of Indonesia. The suspects and evidence worth Rp. 55 billion were immediately handed over.

"After the case file is declared complete or P21, we will immediately carry out Phase II in the form of handing over the suspects and evidence to the public prosecutor. The total evidence to be handed over is money amounting to Rp. 55 billion, which is the result of online gambling activities," said Deputy Head of Sub-Directorate I of the Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police, Kombes Rizki Prakoso.

Director of the Digital Economy Center of Economic and Law Studies (Celios), Nailul Huda, assessed that payment gateway or digital payment system providers must have technology that can stem the flow of transactions to the account of the online gambling platform. He emphasized that transactions that are indicated as online gambling activities must immediately be cut off.

"Transactions that are considered online gambling transactions must be able to be cut off. Payment system providers must have technology to stem the flow of money into the account of online gambling," said Nailul, quoted by the Antara news agency, Sunday (29/3/2026).

In addition, Nailul said that payment system providers need to have more careful electronic Know Your Customer (e-KYC) services. These services can utilize Regulatory Technology (Regtech) tools to stem the flow of transactions to online gambling platforms.

According to him, one of the drivers of the high involvement of the public in online gambling is the ease and speed of transactions through payment systems that have been integrated with the platform.

"It is also supported by an increasingly easy payment system with a fairly fast transaction, either through a bank account or a digital wallet. The easier the financial transaction to top up and so on, I think there will be more and more online gambling players," he said.

However, he assessed that the sophistication of digital payment systems and payment gateways cannot be entirely blamed amid the acceleration of digital technology transformation today. According to him, the technology also has a positive impact in making it easier for people to transact, such as on e-commerce platforms.

"Positive transactions are also more. So don't blame the technology that exists," he said.

Nailul also assessed that the motive for people to play online gambling was to get additional funds easily and quickly, especially in the midst of economic pressure on the lower middle class.

"What we see is that the motive of people playing online gambling is to get money in an easy and fast way. Without too expensive tools, the process is easy, yes, it will certainly be looked at by people who need additional income," he said.

Meanwhile, public policy observer and CEO of the Narasi Institute, Achmad Nur Hidayat, assessed that online gambling only benefits the bookies, but undermines national stability. He said this activity is a real threat to households, labor productivity, and other economic sectors.

"The big profits from this activity are only enjoyed by a few parties, namely the bookies, who are currently not detained by law enforcement officers, while the negative impact must be borne by the wider community," said Achmad, as reported by Antara.

Achmad said that around 80% of the 4.4 million online gambling perpetrators come from the lower middle class who are economically vulnerable. He also highlighted that funds from these activities flow a lot abroad because most platforms are operated by foreign entities.

Furthermore, he explained that many families were trapped in debt due to their dependence on online gambling. This impact also affects other sectors, especially labor productivity.

"In many cases, this causes absenteeism, decreased productivity, and conflicts in the work environment. When this problem occurs massively, companies in various sectors also feel the impact, both in the form of decreased operational efficiency and increased social costs," he explained.

This condition also has an impact on the banking sector, such as an increase in non-performing loans, as well as the burden of social costs that companies must bear due to the decline in labor productivity. He emphasized that the lower middle class is the main target that exacerbates existing economic challenges.

"When the middle and lower-income groups are the main target, this creates an increasingly wide inequality. This group is already facing various economic challenges, such as inflation, rising prices of basic necessities, and difficulty in accessing quality education. Online gambling only worsens their situation, creating a poverty trap that is difficult to overcome," he said.

Achmad emphasized the need for a holistic approach from the government, including strengthening law enforcement against online gambling operators as well as tracking illegal platforms.

"Many online gambling perpetrators are trapped due to a lack of understanding of the financial risks they face. Financial literacy campaigns must be designed in an interesting and easy-to-understand way, so that people can avoid the trap of online gambling while increasing their awareness of the importance of wise financial management," he said.

The government is also considered to need to provide productive economic alternatives, such as empowerment programs for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and labor-intensive programs.

"Only in this way can Indonesia get out of the online gambling trap that is increasingly disturbing. Don't let this phenomenon continue to develop without control, because the impact is too big to ignore," said Achmad.