Jakarta. The Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) has reported that there have been 60 million online gambling transactions in Indonesia, with the total funds involved exceeding Rp 101 trillion ($6.15 billion) in the first quarter alone.

Ivan Yustiavandana, Head of the PPATK, unveiled this startling data during a working meeting with Commission III of the House of Representatives (DPR) in Senayan on Wednesday.

"In the first quarter of this year, we found online gambling transactions amounting to more than Rp 101 trillion. The total number of transactions we have analyzed so far has reached 400 million. This year alone, up to the first quarter, there have been 60 million transactions," Ivan stated.

Gambling is a crime under Indonesian law, punishable by up to six years’ imprisonment.

Ivan highlighted the rapid growth of online gambling in Indonesia since 2017. That year, PPATK recorded an online gambling fund flow of Rp 2.3 trillion. This figure continued to rise significantly in subsequent years, reaching Rp 3.9 trillion in 2018, Rp 6.5 trillion in 2019, and Rp 15.7 trillion in 2020. The most notable surge occurred in 2021, with a total fund flow of Rp 57 trillion.

This alarming growth trend continued into 2022 and 2023. In 2022, the fund flow for online gambling reached Rp 140 trillion, while in 2023 it slightly decreased but still stood at a staggering Rp 127 trillion. These figures indicate that online gambling is becoming increasingly entrenched in Indonesian society.

In response, the government is clustering data based on demographics and geography to analyze online gambling participants. This approach aims to gain a deeper understanding of player profiles and distribution patterns and to formulate more effective countermeasures.

"We have even mapped down to the sub-district and village levels, so we know which provinces have the most activity. We have also identified gender and profession down to the village level. Professions have been mapped as well," Ivan said.

It is not just the general public involved. Ivan revealed that at least 1,000 legislators are implicated in online gambling activities, with total deposits reaching Rp 25 billion.

"Are central and regional legislators involved? Yes, more than 1,000 people are involved," Ivan confirmed.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s government has launched a crackdown on online gambling by establishing an inter-agency task force to track down and close gambling websites, freeze their accounts, and arrest suspected gamblers.