Indonesia sees drop in online gambling deposits in 2025
Indonesia recorded a year-on-year decline in online gambling deposits in 2025, accompanied by a shift in player payment methods, data from the financial intelligence authority show.
Figures released by the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK) show that total online gambling deposits reached US$2.3bn in 2025, down from US$3.3bn the previous year. In rupiah terms, deposits stood at Rp36 trillion in 2025, compared with Rp51 trillion in 2024. The data point to a clear decline in overall deposit value, but also underline structural changes in payment behaviour, with QR code payments and cryptocurrency playing a growing role in online gambling transactions.
QRIS emerges as dominant deposit channel
According to PPATK, the Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard (QRIS) emerged as the dominant channel for online gambling deposits in 2025, as payment activity moved away from bank transfers and e-wallets and towards QRIS-based transactions.
Deputy of Analysis and Examination at PPATK, Danang Tri Hartono, said the trend marked a significant change in how funds move into gambling platforms. “There has been a shift in deposits, which were previously mainly through bank accounts or e-wallets, and now many deposits are made using QRIS,” Danang said at the National Police Criminal Investigation Agency Building on 7 January.
According to PPATK, QRIS transactions are frequently followed by the rapid conversion of funds into cryptocurrency. Danang noted that the speed of QRIS transactions enables fast movement of money between accounts, after which funds are transferred into crypto assets.
Separation of deposits and withdrawals complicates tracing
PPATK also observed that online gambling operators are increasingly separating deposit and withdrawal mechanisms. Under this structure, deposits are processed via QRIS, while withdrawals are handled through crypto-based channels.
Danang said this operational change is creating challenges for financial intelligence and law enforcement efforts. “Now there is a separation between accounts and withdrawals through crypto. This complicates the tracing process conducted by PPATK and the future investigators,” he said.
The use of QRIS for initial deposits, followed by conversion into cryptocurrency, reduces visibility across the transaction chain and adds layers that investigators must unravel when tracking illicit financial flows.
The findings from PPATK come against the backdrop of an intensified nationwide crackdown on online gambling and related money laundering by the Indonesian National Police (INP).
In a recent case, police seized more than Rp59 billion (around US$3.5m) in assets linked to a money-laundering operation that used fake companies to funnel proceeds from online gambling sites. The investigation began in early December after cyber patrols detected 21 domestic and international gambling websites.
Addressing a press briefing in Jakarta on 7 January, Cybercrime Director Brigadier General Himawan Bayu Aji said shell companies were deliberately created to disguise gambling proceeds.
“These shell companies were deliberately set up to disguise and move proceeds from online gambling,” Himawan said.
Investigators worked undercover, including making deposits on suspected platforms to trace payment flows. Authorities also blocked 21 gambling websites connected to the syndicate.
“These websites offered a wide range of games, including slots, casino-style games, football betting, and others,” Himawan said.
Role of shell companies and QRIS gateways
Police identified 17 fictitious companies allegedly set up to facilitate online gambling transactions. Of these, 15 were used as QRIS payment gateways to process player deposits as first-layer intermediaries, while two companies acted as repositories for gambling funds.
“Of the 17 companies, 15 were used to process player payments or deposits as first-layer intermediaries, while two companies actively served as repositories for the overall online gambling proceeds,” Himawan said.
Authorities said the suspects relied on fake identities and falsified corporate documents to open bank accounts and obtain payment merchant status, which enabled the laundering of criminal proceeds.
Arrests, asset seizures and national priorities
In separate operations last month, police detained five suspects aged between 29 and 45, who are alleged to have acted as company directors and document forgers. Authorities have also placed one further suspect on a wanted list. Those arrested are being charged under Indonesia’s anti-money laundering laws, which provide for prison sentences of up to 20 years.
The case is part of a wider national drive led by the Criminal Investigation Department, Bareskrim Polri. Earlier this month, police broke up a major international online gambling syndicate operating in several regions, seizing assets worth hundreds of billions of rupiah and arresting dozens of suspects.
Director of General Crime at Bareskrim, Brigadier General Wira Satya, said the coordinated raids reflected the scale of the network. “The exposure of this international online gambling network reflects the police’s commitment to carrying out the directives of the president and the national police chief to eradicate online gambling,” he said.
Authorities seized computers, mobile phones, bank books, ATM cards, corporate documents and vehicles linked to gambling proceeds, while suspending more than 100 bank accounts. Investigators continue to work closely with PPATK to trace transactions and identify other beneficiaries.
Wira stressed that enforcement efforts extend beyond arrests. “We did not stop at arresting the perpetrators. Investigators continue to trace the flow of funds, assets, and other involved parties, including those engaged in money laundering. The entire process is conducted professionally, transparently, and justly,” he said.
Ongoing focus on gambling-related harm
As per police data, 665 online gambling cases were handled statewide in 2025, 741 people were arrested, Rp1.5 trillion in cash and products were seized, and over 231,000 gambling websites and accounts were disabled.
Bareskrim Polri Chief Commissioner General Syahardiantono said online gambling remains one of four crime categories prioritised by police, alongside narcotics, smuggling and corruption, as Indonesia continues to target illegal gambling and the evolving financial mechanisms that support it.
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