Indonesia blocks millions of posts about gambling

Indonesia's Ministry of Communications and Digital Technology has launched a major campaign to clean up the digital space.

Between October 2024 and October 2025, the agency blocked more than 3 million publications, two-thirds of which were related to illegal online gambling.

What's included in the sweep

• 2,377,283 publications with gambling content (78%)
• 612,618 pornographic materials (20%)
• A total of 3,053,984 pieces of content were removed

How the government operates

• Blocking illegal sites and financial flows related to gambling
• 24/7 monitoring of the digital space and SAMAN automatic moderation system
• Working together with financial structures and law enforcement agencies to track operators and intermediaries

Asian trend

Increased regulation in Indonesia is in line with a global trend: Asian markets are tightening controls on illegal gambling to protect users and stabilize financial flows. Similar measures are already being implemented in Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines.

Conclusion

The Indonesian government's goal is to block citizens' access to online gambling by cracking down on operators and middlemen. The scale of the sweep could mean that Southeast Asian countries are moving from point-blocking to a systemic fight against illegal online gambling.