Online Gambling Crisis
Society was once again shocked by news of a raid on the online gambling (judol) headquarters in one of the office towers in the Hayam Wuruk area, West Jakarta, on Saturday, 9 May 2026 (Media Indonesia, 11 May 2026). Rather than diminishing, judol activity in Indonesia appears to be increasing, even making Indonesia a hub for international gambling syndicates. Some 321 foreign nationals were arrested by the Indonesian police’s Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim). They are part of an international syndicate operating in Jakarta. Authorities seized a secret vault, laptops, and hundreds of phones ready to tempt and drain public money from gambling participants.
This raid is more than a routine arrest; it is tangible evidence that Indonesia is no longer merely a market for gambling syndicates but has shifted to being a “hub” for international gambling syndicate operations with a very wide network. The detainees largely originate from Vietnam (228 people) and China (57), with others from Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, and Cambodia. They run 75 online gambling sites disguised with sophistication, using a combination of complex characters to evade blocks that can be implemented by the Ministry of Communications and Digital (Komdigi).
ONLINE GAMBLING SYNDICATES ARE BECOMING MORE ACTIVE
Recently, the syndicate behind the surge in judol has indications of moving operations to Indonesia. Indonesia seems to be viewed as a favourable habitat due to high internet usage in Indonesia and many people who are easily enticed by the lure of changing their fortune through judol. In other countries, such as Cambodia and Laos, anti-gambling operations have become tighter, while Indonesia is seen as a new safe location to control judol sites.
Data from the Financial Transaction Reporting and Analysis Centre (PPATK) show that the money turnover from judol in Indonesia reaches hundreds of trillions of rupiah per year, with millions of people—from students, housewives to formal workers—caught in it. The phenomenon of public involvement in judol is no longer merely a pastime or mischief. It has become a social disease that has infiltrated and damaged family order and public productivity.
When the urge to get rich quickly collides with technological ease, a disaster arises as we see today: judol that is increasingly widespread. In the Jakarta raid alone, cash seized included Rp1.9 billion, US dollars, and Vietnamese dong. This finding demonstrates a massive cross-border money turnover in judol activity.
From early 2025 to the third quarter, the money turnover of judol reached Rp155 trillion. According to PPATK, the judol money turnover in Indonesia for 2025 reached Rp286.84 trillion, recorded in 422.1 million transactions. Although the figure is impressive, PPATK notes that this turnover declined by 20% compared with 2024, which was Rp359.81 trillion. In Indonesia, 12.3 million people deposited judol through channels such as banks, e-wallets, and QRIS.
Entering 2026, the money turnover in judol is projected to continue declining. However, given that Indonesia has now become a hub for international judol syndicates, it is not impossible that the money turnover could rise again. Several factors contribute to the proliferation of judol in Indonesia: First, the ease of access and the anonymity of perpetrators, with identities not required to be public. Unlike in the past, gambling was associated with hidden locations. Today, the space to gamble exists in everyone’s pocket. Widespread internet access, easily downloadable apps, and 24-hour judol sites enable anyone to play at any time. Anonymity—the fact that players do not need face-to-face interaction—makes people feel safe and shielded from immediate social sanctions.
Second, the dream of changing one’s fortune instantly, plus aggressive marketing by gambling syndicates. In Indonesia, several influencers have been observed marketing judol en masse and a variety of covert advertisements across social media. They typically lure people who dream of changing their fortunes. Judol platforms use gamification features—designs reminiscent of ordinary games—to attract young people, while their real aim is to foster addictive behaviour that harms victims.
Third, due to economic pressures and the desperation of people to achieve vertical mobility. When the economy is not doing well and people struggle to find jobs amid high living costs, judol is viewed as a ‘shortcut’ to obtaining instant money. This is a psychological trap where someone already pressed by economic needs gambles away their remaining assets in the vain hope of rapid change. Vulnerable communities are most likely to be enticed.
Fourth, due to low digital literacy and financial literacy among the public. Many people do not fully understand the financial security risks online. Low literacy makes them easily swayed by sweet promises of judol wins. The lower-middle class, who live under constant economic pressure, are the most susceptible.
ERADICATING JUDOL
The impact of the surge in judol is not merely financial loss. Its ripple effects include family breakdowns, accumulation of online loan debts (pinjaman online), and rising crime rates.