The recent arrest of nearly 40 Indian nationals in Bali for allegedly operating an online gambling ring has raised fresh concerns about the extent of Indonesia’s ongoing battle against this industry, as well as its vulnerable tourist visa programme.
In Indonesia, online gambling generates billions of rupiah in monthly revenue, despite ongoing crackdowns by authorities.
Bali police reported that the suspects entered Indonesia on tourist visas and had been operating an online gambling website since November from two villas.
Of the 39 detainees, 35 have been formally charged, while four remain under investigation as witnesses. Police started monitoring the group on January 15 after a cyber patrol discovered an Instagram account promoting a gambling website.
On February 3, officers conducted a raid on two villas, arresting the suspects and seizing evidence. Gambling, whether online or offline, is illegal in Indonesia. The suspects are accused of luring individuals by sharing Instagram links that directed users to the gambling site.
Bali police chief Inspector General Daniel Adityajaya told reporters that the site had generated around 7 billion to 8 billion rupiah per month (HK$3.26 million to HK$3.72 million).
He said the suspects were recruited in India and promised a monthly salary of 5 million rupiah (HK$2,328).
He said the suspects were recruited in India and promised a monthly salary of 5 million rupiah (HK$2,328).
“They’ve been here for around two months, disguised as tourists. They’ve been provided with a villa for operations, and they rarely interact with outsiders,” he said, calling online gambling “a real threat” to people’s finances and “the future of the younger generation”.
Aszhari Kurniawan, director of cyber research at Bali police, said the island was chosen as the base of the suspects’ operations as “it is an international destination ... and a large number of Indian tourists visit here”.
The gambling site primarily targeted users in India but could be accessed globally via a virtual private network.
The Indian nationals have been charged under Indonesia’s 2024 Electronic Information and Transactions Law, which carries penalties of up to nine years in prison.
The arrests add to a growing list of criminal cases involving foreign tourists in Bali and have intensified pressure on authorities to tighten entry screening. Indonesia currently grants visas on arrival for tourists from 97 countries.
Indonesia has long sought to stamp out online gambling, threatening permanent bans for platforms that host such content.
According to the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre, online gambling transactions in 2025 reached 286.84 trillion rupiah – a 20 per cent drop from 2024 – with more than 12 million gamblers paying through bank transfers, e-wallets or via QR codes.
