OJK orders banks to block 36,000 accounts linked to online gambling

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority (OJK) has instructed commercial banks to conduct enhanced due diligence (EDD) or block more than 36,000 bank accounts suspected of facilitating illegal online gambling activities.

OJK Chief Executive for Banking Supervision, Dian Ediana Rae, stated at a press conference here on Tuesday (July 7) that the financial regulator flagged approximately 36,191 accounts based on data submitted by the Communication and Digital Affairs Ministry.

"To combat online gambling, which has had a widespread impact on the economy and financial sector, the OJK has requested banks to conduct enhanced due diligence (EDD) and/or block approximately 36,191 accounts suspected of being involved in online gambling activities,” Dian noted.

In addition to freezing the flagged accounts, he stated that the OJK has requested banks to expand their follow-up measures by systematically closing other accounts that match the National Identification Number (NIK) of the individuals suspected of being involved in online gambling.

Banks have also been ordered to implement rigorous EDD on these accounts to ensure that customer profiles and transactional activities comply with the applicable financial regulations.

According to Dian, the coordinated banking intervention is part of the OJK's continuous efforts to strengthen oversight against the misuse of the national banking system for illegal activities that could potentially disrupt the stability of the financial sector and the economy.

The number of accounts requested to be blocked or subjected to EDD represents an increase compared to the previous report, which stood at approximately 33,836 accounts. This marks an addition of 2,355 accounts to the follow-up list based on the Communication and Digital Affairs Ministry’s updated data.

In tandem with the banking restrictions, the ministry is also collaborating with tech giant Meta to form a specialized team to suppress the spread of online gambling promotional content across social media platforms, as part of its comprehensive eradication efforts.

Translator: Shofi Ayudiana, Yashinta Difa

Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono

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