TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Financial Services Authority (OJK) said it had blocked about 8,500 bank accounts suspected of being involved in online gambling activities.

Dian Ediana Rae, OJK's chief of banking supervision, said the number had increased from the previous report submitted by the Ministry of Communication and Digital at about 8,000 accounts.

"Regarding the eradication of online gambling, I can also report that we both know that this has a broad impact on the economy and the financial sector," Dian said at a press conference on the results of the monthly meeting of the Board of Commissioners (RDKB), which was held online on Tuesday, January 7, 2025.

OJK, Dian continued, has developed the report by asking banks to close accounts that match the Population Identity Number and conduct Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD).

In addition, he explained that OJK has discussed and exchanged information with banks on efforts to strengthen the parameters that banks can use in the early detection of accounts suspected of online gambling.

"Thus, with the improvements in the parameters used to capture transactions related to online gambling, it is hoped that in the future banks will be more sensitive in the context of identifying and also taking action steps, including closing accounts," he said.

He said the OJK is also trying to strengthen the monitoring of the use of dormant accounts, or bank accounts that have not seen any transactions for a long time, as has been done in the past.

"These dormant accounts are now a fairly extraordinary concern for banks, and now I think almost all banks have very strict discipline related to dormant accounts," he said.

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