Indonesia’s Ministry of Social Affairs has temporarily suspended welfare assistance for 1,494,652 beneficiary households after data matching identified suspected online gambling transactions linked to their accounts.
The suspension follows a review of information provided by the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK), Indonesia’s financial intelligence agency. Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf said authorities are investigating whether the flagged activity involved intentional misuse of government assistance.
“There are 1.49 million beneficiary families flagged for online gambling based on PPATK data, and we are currently investigating the matter,” Yusuf said.
The affected households receive support through the Program Sembako basic food assistance scheme, also known as BPNT. The ministry has withheld third-quarter payments for the flagged beneficiaries while it conducts verification.
The number represents a significant increase compared with previous findings. Authorities identified nearly 600,000 welfare recipient households linked to suspected online gambling activity in earlier data reviews.
Yusuf said the government must ensure social assistance funds serve their intended purpose of supporting families with basic needs rather than being used for illegal gambling activities.
Government Reviews Beneficiary Eligibility
The ministry is carrying out further checks together with PPATK, the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs, and regional authorities. As reported by the Jakarta Globe, the review will examine whether transactions were made directly by beneficiaries, occurred without their knowledge, or involved accounts being used by other parties.
“It is possible they no longer qualify for social assistance. The evidence indicates that the assistance was used for online gambling. Therefore, we are investigating the matter further while simultaneously updating the beneficiary data,” Yusuf remarked.
The verification process also forms part of the government’s update of the National Socio-Economic Single Data (DTSEN), which is used to manage welfare distribution and improve beneficiary targeting.
Authorities said households found to have deliberately or repeatedly used assistance funds for gambling could lose eligibility, with their benefits reassigned to other recipients.
Of the households identified through PPATK data, 794,475 were also recorded as recipients of the Family Hope Program (PKH), a conditional cash-transfer scheme. The ministry has not confirmed whether these households overlap fully with the Sembako beneficiaries or represent an additional group.
The government is also continuing education programs for beneficiary families through social workers and PKH facilitators. Officials are encouraging recipients to protect their accounts and avoid allowing others to use them for unlawful activities.
“Do not be careless. For instance, by letting others use or exploit your account. We continuously provide outreach, education, and guidance to Beneficiary Families through social facilitators,” Yusuf said.
Authorities Expand Action Against Online Gambling
The suspension comes as Indonesia continues efforts to restrict illegal online gambling activity. Although online gambling remains prohibited in the country, authorities have increased cooperation between government agencies to identify operators, payment channels and users connected to unlicensed platforms.
PPATK data showed online gambling activity continued at a significant level in 2026. The agency reported that online gambling turnover reached IDR86.82 trillion ($5.3 billion) across 467.32 million transactions during the first half of the year.
While the total value declined compared with the same period previously, transaction volume increased as operators shifted toward smaller and more frequent deposits, according to PPATK.
The agency has also reported a growing use of QRIS, Indonesia’s national digital payment QR system, for gambling-related deposits, creating additional challenges for enforcement efforts.