Indonesian watchdog finds $1 billion in online gambling deposits linked to World Cup

Indonesia's financial transaction watchdog has uncovered a significant surge in online gambling activity, exploiting the 2026 World Cup to funnel over 1.02 trillion rupiah (approximately $63 million USD) into illicit betting. The Center for Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis (PPATK) identified this massive influx through 6,013,352 transactions occurring between mid-June and July 2026.

"The World Cup should be a moment to enjoy achievement and sportsmanship, not a gateway for gambling. The finding of more than 6 million transactions related to the World Cup in one month shows how quickly online gambling networks exploit public attention," stated Ivan Yustiavandana, head of PPATK, on Wednesday.

In response, PPATK has temporarily halted transactions for 2,815 accounts, with a combined balance of 325.43 billion rupiah ($20 million USD). These measures are part of a broader analysis of online gambling during the first half of 2026. During this period, the total turnover of online gambling funds reached 86.82 trillion rupiah ($5.3 billion USD) across 467.32 million transactions. Deposit values amounted to 22.05 trillion rupiah ($1.35 billion USD) through bank accounts, e-wallets, and QRIS.

While the total turnover saw a slight decrease of 12.9% compared to the first half of 2025, the number of identified transactions surged by 167.2%. Similarly, deposit values increased by 26%, with transaction frequency rising by nearly 140%. Yustiavandana attributed this increase not only to the growth of online gambling but also to improved detection capabilities and active participation from reporting parties. He noted the increasing dominance of QRIS in online gambling deposits, accounting for 56.04% of the total nominal value and 87.66% of transaction frequency in the first half of 2026. However, he cautioned against viewing QRIS itself as problematic, emphasizing that the issue lies in the misuse of merchants, identities, and transaction purposes by gambling networks.

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The World Cup should be a moment to enjoy achievement and sportsmanship, not a gateway for gambling. The finding of more than 6 million transactions related to the World Cup in one month shows how quickly online gambling networks exploit public attention.