Indonesia Bookmakers

Indonesia is an archipelagic country located in Southeast Asia and its capital city is Jakarta. It neighbours with Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Malaysia. Indonesia remains to this date a country where gambling is outlawed and the government has strict polices on the subject. To fully understand the different gambling laws especially those concerning bookmakers and sport betting. This article will give brief details about the Indonesia bookmakers, gambling laws of Indonesia, the authorities and the current position of sports betting in Indonesia.

Indonesia Bookmakers

Table of Contents

1974: Gambling of all forms is unlawful in the country of Indonesia.

2012: An appeal against the Internet gambling during the Euro 2012 betting craze.

2018: This is because over 500 thousand sites have been banned on the internet because of gambling.

2023: Budi Arie Setiadi chosen for the post of internet censorship.

April 2024: Setting up of a special committee for prevention of unlawful Internet betting.

History of Indonesian Gambling Laws

The Indonesian population is mostly Muslims and therefore betting is strictly banned in the country. The ban has its origin in 1974 when all forms of gambling such as casinos, poker, and even sport betting were banned. This was made more real by the Indonesian Criminal Code Article 303 that provided severe penalties on any person involved in gambling.

Key Historical Milestones:

  • 1974: Banning of betting in all its forms in the country.
  • 2012: An anti-gambling message calling for the prohibition of all forms of betting after the wagering of large amounts of Rupiah during the Euro 2012 event.
  • 2018: More than 500 thousands Internet sites have been closed since the first campaign of their blocking.
  • 2023: He was appointed a head of internet censorship and information affairs with the intention to block gambling contents by Budi Arie Setiadi.

Indonesia does not allow gambling whether is it is online or in a physical location. The implementation of these laws is strict and there are severe consequences for those who do not follow them. Punters who are found gambling are liable to be imprisoned for a period of three to five years. In the conservative provinces such as Aceh, public whipping is used as a form of punishment for violation of the gambling laws.

Regulatory Agencies:

  • Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (Kominfo): Responsible for internet censorship and has shut down many gambling sites.
  • Financial Services Authority (OJK): Freezes the financial accounts related to gambling operations.
  • Law Enforcement Agencies: The gambling laws should be implemented and violators should be charged accordingly.

Recent Developments:

Indonesia in April 2024 formed a new task force that will help to eliminate online gambling. This particular special task force headed by Budi Arie Setiadi will coordinate the efforts of the institutions in order to fight online gambling more efficiently.

Indonesia Bookmakers and Licensing

Nevertheless, there is no legal regulation of bookmakers in Indonesia, let alone licensing. Any form of betting including sports betting is prohibited and there are no laws that allow for the acquisition of gambling licenses.

Key Points:

  • License Types: No specific sites for gambling activities.
  • Fees: No relation since gambling is strictly prohibited in this country.

Taxation and Financial Regulations

Due to the illegality of gambling, there are no legal structures for the taxation of gambling in Indonesia. However, the government tries to prevent any financial transactions connected with gambling, collaborating with banks and other financial organizations to stop the money flow to and from gambling sites.

Prohibited and Allowed Activities

Indonesia like many other countries in Asia has banned all types of gambling and this also applies to sports betting. This law applies to everyone and is implemented without prejudice to anyone’s nationality, regardless of whether they are a local or a foreigner.

Prohibited Activities:

  • Land-based Casinos: Completely banned.
  • Online Gambling: Banned to a very high extent, although there are attempts to restrict the access to foreign gambling web-sites.
  • Sports Betting: I have outlined that gambling is unlawful in all its forms.

Allowed Activities:

  • None: Gambling is prohibited under the Indonesian law as all forms of gambling are unlawful.

Sports Betting Landscape

Nevertheless, sports betting is still widely practiced in Indonesia, especially through the illegitimate means. Football and badminton are the most famous sports; there are usually high levels of betting when there are tournaments.

Key Sports Events:

  • Football: Football is an extremely popular sport in Indonesia and it possesses a great football history as it was the first Asian country to qualify for FIFA World Cup in the year 1938.
  • Badminton: Indonesia has been a power house in badminton especially in the Olympic games and other world championships such as Sudirman Cup, Thomas Cup and Uber Cup.
  • Other Sports: Basketball, boxing, and sepak takraw are some of the sports that have gained a lot of popularity with Indonesia having a strong influence in the Southeast Asian region.

Conclusion

Understanding the laws and regulations in Indonesia is very important when it comes to gambling because they have very strict laws on this. Total prohibition of all forms of gambling including the betting on sports is observed and anyone found involved in this is punishable by law. In the recent past, Indonesia has formed a special task force to fight gambling activities more intensively than before.

FAQ about Indonesia Bookmakers

Related content

Asia Bookmakers

Iraq Bookmakers

Iraq Bookmakers

Iraq is a country in southwest Asia and northeastern Arabian Peninsula region of the world. It is surrounded by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, Syria and Jordan to the west, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to the south ... Read More about Iraq Bookmakers
Israel Bookmakers

Israel Bookmakers

Israel is in western Asia with neighboring countries of Jordan, Syria, the Gulf of Aqaba, Egypt, the Mediterranean Sea, and Lebanon. This is the meeting point of Asia, Africa, and Europe. This article offers insight into the legal provisions governing ... Read More about Israel Bookmakers
Syria Bookmakers

Syria Bookmakers

This nation is officially called the Syrian Arab Republic, and it is located in Western Asia – it also has a rich and rather volatile history of gambling. Here in this article, we will explore, the legislation on gambling in ... Read More about Syria Bookmakers
Philippines Bookmakers

Philippines Bookmakers

Philippines lies in the southeastern Asia, it touches Taiwan province of China to the north by sea across Bashy Strait and Indonesia and Malaysia to the south and south-west across Sulu Sea and Balabac strait. This guide covers legal aspects, ... Read More about Philippines Bookmakers
Yemen Bookmakers

Yemen Bookmakers

Yemen is a country situated in the southwestern most part of the Arabian peninsula and share borders with Saudi Arabia and Oman; and has the Red sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Arabian sea as their coastlines. Yemen has ... Read More about Yemen Bookmakers
Kyrgyzstan Bookmakers

Kyrgyzstan Bookmakers

Kyrgyzstan is one of the Central Asian nations and located in the north of the region; it is bordered by Kazakhstan in the north, Uzbekistan in the west, Tajikistan in the southwest and China in the east. has recently amended ... Read More about Kyrgyzstan Bookmakers
Malaysia Bookmakers

Malaysia Bookmakers

Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy in Southeast Asia with Kuala Lumpur as the capital city and the administrative capital in Putrajaya and has an area of about 330000 square kilometers. This paper will explore the complex legal framework that surrounds ... Read More about Malaysia Bookmakers
China Bookmakers

China Bookmakers

Legal regulation of gambling in China is quite rigorous and has its roots in the early period of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. However, there are some types of betting and lotteries that are legally allowed and they ... Read More about China Bookmakers
Tajikistan Bookmakers

Tajikistan Bookmakers

Tajikistan can be considered an obscure country in Central Asia, however it has a rather interesting past and present which concerns gambling industry particularly Tajikistan bookmakers and sports betting. This article aims to take a closer look at the current ... Read More about Tajikistan Bookmakers
Scroll to Top