Best online casinos in Indonesia (2023)
When it comes to gambling, unlike other Southeastern Asia countries, Indonesia online casino market is still unexploited. In fact, it isn’t even legal. Indonesians, who enjoy playing online casinos, have a hard time doing so in their country. Religious and political reasons obstruct the gambling activity within the country’s borders, so players have to select a foreign online casino offers, in order to get some action.
Trusted Indonesia online casinos
Online casinos in Indonesia seem to be a burning issue since most local brands operating in the region are complete scams. If you want to save time and money not experimenting with untrustworthy sites that will not pay out your money, the list below showcases the most trusted Indonesia online casinos with reputable licenses from respected regulators. To top it all off, we also found some brands that allow you to enjoy casino games in Indonesia Rupiah (IDR), thus avoiding unnecessary conversion fees.
Trusted Sites Accepting Indonesians
How we rate an online casino Indonesia
Since there is no such thing as a licensed online casino Indonesia, our focus turns to international casinos that offer their services to Indonesian players. We have agreed upon some characteristics that make or break an online casino. One of them is the bonus policy which we have already analyzed thoroughly, but there are other important aspects, too, that we will address right away.
License reputation
Until this day, not a single local license has been awarded by the Indonesian state. So, you should take your chances with international Indonesia online casinos, which hold foreign licenses. Among them, the most prestigious are considered the UKGC and MGA certificates. Another popular option is Curacao, which many operators select due to its less strict regulations. As an Indonesian, you should also look for PAGCOR-licensed casino sites. These sites are certified by the Philippines’ nearby jurisdiction and are usually optimized for Indonesian players, too.
Welcome bonus in casino online Indonesia
Most casinos online Indonesia offer matching bonuses (100% Up to 2,000,000 IDR) or packages with free spins (i.e. 200% bonus up to €300 + 150 free spins) to welcome you to their site. In addition, as you can see from our list, if you sign up for specific Indonesian casinos, you can even claim exclusive welcome offers secured by us. Remember to read the T&Cs in each offer separately and pay special attention to rollover requirements (e.g. deposit + bonus x40 times). If your welcome bonus includes free spins, make sure to check which slot casino online Indonesia titles are excluded from the wagering.
IDR casino websites
As an Indonesian, it’s only normal to be on the lookout for IDR casinos, meaning casino sites that accept the Indonesian Rupiah, so that you can make your transactions without having to convert money. The majority of the foreign online casinos don’t offer this convenience, let alone support the Indonesian language. However, websites like PAGCOR-licensed online casinos or grey approach gambling sites may include Indonesian elements (website language, Indonesian-speaking customer support agents, local currency) to attract players from the region.
Live casino Indonesia
The country doesn’t have any legal places for gambling. Even though land-based casinos existed in Jakarta and some other cities a long time ago, today, there is no sign that gambling once was legal in Indonesia. So, if local players want to recreate the atmosphere of a live casino, they should register at one of the foreign sites, which offer a live casino for Indonesia. Almost all casinos on our list feature a live dealer’s section with popular games like blackjack, roulette or baccarat.
How do casinos online Indonesia operate
Indonesians have been influenced by many other nations that had or still have interests in Southeast Asia. It’s a wonder how they have managed to form a national identity and hold on to it all these years after their independence in 1945. Chinese and European (mainly Dutch) influence is evident in many aspects of everyday life and for some time, gambling wasn’t an exception. Until the 1970s, the capital Jakarta and other cities featured brick-and-mortar casinos and gambling was by no means outlawed.
When the ‘New Order’ regime took over in Indonesia, the state decided to give prominence to the Islamic religion. The government revoked all the licenses, closed down all gambling places and imposed hefty penalties for those that continue to offer gambling services. In other words, the population was subjected to the Sharia law, which considers gambling detrimental to public health and characterizes it as a sin. Even state-funded lotteries were banned after the complaints of Muslim religious groups. Slot online casinos in Indonesia that emerged in the late 1990s didn’t have better luck in this region and were banned immediately.
For many decades there wasn’t a clear regulatory framework for gambling legislated by the state. This changed in 2012 when the government took notice of the rising gambling activity in the country during the football competition of Euro 2012. Three Ministries – Social Affairs, Religious Affairs, and Communications & IT- cooperated on passing a law that effectively banned any form of gambling in Indonesia. The Ministry of Communications & IT attempted to block online gambling sites from abroad as well, but until now, their efforts have bumped into internet technology advancements such as VPN networks or mirror sites.
At this point, we should note that no action is taken against players that register at foreign online casino operators. As long as you are using a VPN or methods like cryptocurrencies or ewallets that keep the nature of your transactions ‘hidden’ from your bank, you won’t even get identified as an online gambler, let alone get charged with any offence.
Are all Indonesia gambling sites safe and secure?
As an Indonesian player who wants to enjoy slots gaming or live casino, you can choose between two options. Either the local licenses that operae illegally in the country or the remote casinos sites which are licensed abroad.
Local illegal sites
In an unregulated market, there are always illegitimate casino sites that pop out all the time. They try to attract players by using local elements (language, currency) and offering huge but improbable-to-wager bonuses. We cannot stress enough how important it is to stay away from these places. These casinos operate without a license, intentionally delay or cancel transactions and sometimes, they even use pirate software with an RTP that can go as low as 50%. If you get scammed by one of those operators, there is no way back as they aren’t subjected to anybody but themselves. You will lose your money without any chance of remuneration, simple as that.
Internationally licensed Indonesia online casinos
In contrast with sites that operate illegally and therefore offer no guarantee for the security of your funds and winnings, international online casinos are subject to controlling authorities that can revoke their license if they mistreat players. To spot a reliable Indonesia online casino, you should search for specific details at their website footer, such as the regulator’s logo, badges from an auditing fairness agency like iTechLabs, or an alternative dispute resolution party. In terms of safe play, you should always expect your data to be protected by SSL encryption and Responsible Gambling tools to be visible and implemented correctly.
Deposits & withdrawals at IDR casinos
Since it’s not legal to play online, many local payment options don’t facilitate casino payments. And while Indonesian Rupiahs online casinos can be found in the Philippines, most international brands do not offer the local currency. These factors, coupled with making sure your transactions are safe and secure, give the edge to ewallets as the best payment option for players. So, Neteller, Skrill, Paypal or ecoPayz are the most popular and the best payment options to choose in IDR casinos, especially if you play with a VPN.
Debit cards and online bank transfers are also used for deposits. However, the popular banks in the area like BNI, BCA, CIMB, or Danamon aren’t widely accepted for wire transfers at offshore online casinos, except if you have registered at an IDR casino.
Another method that is gaining popularity lately is cryptocurrencies. Depending on the casino operator and the coins they offer, you can make your transactions in crypto and convert them into real money later.
What the future holds for gambling in Indonesia?
Let’s say it’s not so bright regarding the regulation of the market. As it currently stands (and isn’t changing soon), Indonesia is a Muslim-majority populated country. It seems improbable to watch any significant changes regarding the regulatory framework of online gambling in Indonesia shortly. Yet, casino fans in Indonesia haven’t stopped playing abroad, taking the only available option, which is to bet at foreign casino sites. Will Indonesia reconsider its gambling policy and realize the massive financial potential of a regulated market? Only time will tell.
Online gambling is banned without exceptions in Indonesia, and the only option a player has is to play at international online casinos.
Since gambling isn’t allowed, the legal gambling age isn’t defined. Depending on the country where your remote online casino is licensed, you can sign up if you are older than 18 or 21 years old.
Online gambling in Indonesia isn't allowed, so there are no talks on taxing winnings. You can assume that your winnings won’t be subjected to taxation as they aren’t considered as income.
Sure you can. Casinos that offer their services to Indonesian players, often feature no deposit bonus in the form of free spins or free cash, which they grant you usually after you have verified your personal information.
Absolutely, yes. Almost all of the international casino sites that we propose offer a live dealer’s section. It’s even possible in some places to place your bet in IDR.
Although not so common, some casinos do accept the local currency. You can expect to make transactions in IDR mainly in Asian-friendly casinos, which hold the PAGCOR license.
The local authorities focus their efforts on restricting operators that offer their services in the region and don’t impose any legal sanctions on players.
Indonesian authorities have tried in the past to ban and blacklist offshore casinos, so there is a possibility that you get blocked.