JAKARTA, Nov 21 (Bernama-Antara): Deputy Governor of Bank Indonesia (BI), Juda Agung, has assured that the central bank will freeze bank accounts affiliated with online gambling in cooperation with payment service providers, both banks and non-banks.
"Payment service providers, both banks and non-banks, must have fraud detection systems (in place) to identify accounts used for online gambling transactions and other fraud," he said at a press conference at the office of the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs here on Thursday.
After a payment service provider detects an account suspected of being involved in online gambling, the account must be reported to BI immediately, reported ANTARA news agency.
The account will be traced by BI and frozen. That way, the account holder will no longer be able to withdraw money or use the account for transactions.
Agung explained that so far, BI has frozen 7,500 accounts linked to online gambling.
The central bank is also continuing to carry out the dissemination of information regarding the risks of online gambling to the community.
"We continue to educate them through television and social media," he affirmed.
He assured that the BI will continue to take action against bank accounts affiliated with online gambling until online gambling activities are eliminated in the country.
On the same occasion, Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid said that this month, the online gambling eradication desk has submitted 651 requests for blocking bank accounts connected to online gambling activities.
She added that solid cooperation with banks is expected to narrow the scope of online gambling activities.
Hafid further said that as many as 104,819 sites related to online gambling have been taken down since the formation of the online gambling eradication desk on November 4, 2024.
"If we count from October 20, or the start of the new government, the number has reached around 380,000," she added.
Earlier, Indonesian Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology Satryo Soemantri Brodjonegoro disclosed an alarming statistic, revealing that approximately 960,000 students from both school and college levels have been involved in online gambling activities.
"The number of students who are involved in online gambling reaches 960 thousand to date," the minister stated in a press conference here on Thursday, reported ANTARA news agency.
Brodjonegoro remarked that most of the students were spread across public and private universities in the country.
Under the efforts to address this problem, he affirmed that the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology is preparing a special channel for online gambling reports in universities in Indonesia.
"We are now preparing the report service. Public and private universities must have this service for those who are trapped in online gambling," he explained.
In addition, Brodjonegoro gave a special directive to the rectors of public and private universities in Indonesia to partake in the prevention of online gambling.
"The ministry instructs every leader of public and private universities to prevent the participation of lecturers, students, and educators in online gambling," he remarked.
He highlighted that the directive is also given to universities under the auspices of the Religious Affairs Ministry.
At the same occasion, Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar announced that he had summoned rectors from various state religious higher education institutions to discuss strategies aimed at curbing online gambling involvement among students in their academic environments.
Those institutions comprise the State Islamic College (STAIN), the State Institute for Islamic Studies (IAIN), and the State Islamic University (UIN).
"We have invited all rectors within the auspices of the ministry, including IAIN, UIN, STAIN, and the ministry's regional offices, to attend a working meeting," Umar said. - Bernama
