eading digital financial services provider GoPay has expressed its active support for the Indonesian government’s crackdown on online gambling, with the company utilizing technological and educational approaches to prevent illegal activities within its ecosystem.
GoTo Financial Head of Regulatory and Public Affairs Budi Gandasoebrata said the eradication of online gambling is a collective effort and responsibility, and as a homegrown company, GoPay strives to build a safe and trusted digital financial ecosystem in Indonesia.
“To prevent online gambling activities, GoPay applies strict operational procedures including close monitoring of our users’ activities at every stage,” said Budi.
GoPay’s Know Your Customer (KYC) process, which is mandatory for users when upgrading to GoPay Plus, includes facial recognition to prevent identity theft and account misuse.
In addition, GoPay utilizes Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology on both GoPay and GoPay Plus accounts to automatically and quickly monitor the movement of funds and detect suspicious transactions or transfers in real time accurately.
The rapid spread of online gambling websites, often advertised with seemingly attractive prospects and a variety of payment gateways, have ensnared more than 4 million people with an estimated Rp 600 trillion annual transaction value, per government data.
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According to the newly established online gambling task force, children below the age of 10 and those aged 10 to 20 made up around 13 percent of the figure, with online gambling reaching rural regions across most of the 38 provinces.
During the first half of this year, the Communications and Information Ministry had blocked more than 1 million gambling sites, equal to the number of platforms blocked in the past five years. The ministry estimates that more than 10,000 new sites pop up every day.
To date, the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) has frozen around 5,000 bank accounts and 500 e-wallet accounts, suspected of being used by syndicates and bookies under other individuals’ names.
Acknowledging the impact of low financial literacy in the rise of online gambling, GoPay also actively disseminates public education on the dangers of the phenomenon.
Along with a rise in Indonesians taking out high-interest loans to pay off their debts and bets, officials have blamed gambling addiction on a surge of fatalities linked to online gambling as well as higher divorce rates and crime levels in some areas of the country.
“GoPay has initiated a social media movement to showcase the negative impacts of online gambling activities. We encourage the public to stay vigilant and share real life experiences on the impact of online gambling on themselves and those closest to them,” said Budi.
In addition, GoPay also collaborates with cross-sector authorities, including Bank Indonesia, the Communications and Information Ministry, as well as the PPATK to ensure compliance requirements are implemented and to regularly report to regulators if there are indications of illegal actions.