Games for Money in Indonesia: Perspectives of the Niche
The Statista online publication predicts that the Indonesian casino and betting sector will generate $19.7 million by the end of 2027. The industry is showing impressive growth rates.
Gambling in Indonesia
Country Overview
- Manufacturing
- Agriculture
- Banking
- Services
Gambling Regulation
Market Dynamics
Target Audience
Popular Gambling Activities
Mobile Traffic
Payment Methods
Communication Platforms
Advertising Strategies
Experts of the Rosloto company will tell you how casino entertainment is developing in this region, and what awaits the niche in the future.
Brief Information about the Jurisdiction
This is an island state in Southeast Asia, the population of which exceeds 270 million people. According to this indicator, it ranks fourth in the world.
Besides, this is one of the largest Muslim countries, which explains the special attitude towards casino solutions. Officially, all types of gambling are banned on the territory but in practice, people actively play on offshore Internet platforms and in underground land-based locations.
Until 1945, the country was a colony of the Netherlands. After the declaration of independence, many European traditions were preserved here, including the love for entertainment for money.
Indonesia is the world's seventh-largest economy and has well-developed:
- mechanical engineering;
- agriculture;
- banking sector;
- service industry.
Almost a third of the GDP is generated by tourism, so the local authorities are seriously considering the legalisation of land-based casinos in resort areas. The most popular destination is Bali.
The capital of the country, Jakarta, is the largest metropolis in the world. It is situated on the island of Java and has a population of more than 10.7 million people.
Features of Gambling Regulation
Article 303 of the Indonesian Criminal Code is the only document that regulates the entertainment market. According to it, any form of gaming is strictly prohibited.
In 2023, the government voted for changes, which are expected to come into force in 2026. The updated rules are even tighter. The authorities also want to ban witchcraft, black magic, trolling on the Internet, and mystification.
The restrictions are different from the real state of affairs in the market. Today, more and more users are choosing to visit offshore sites, which can be easily done thanks to a VPN.
Entrepreneurs are also dissatisfied with the current situation. Because of the established rules, the business sector loses tens of millions of dollars every year. Tourism and entertainment spheres suffer the most. They are aimed primarily at foreigners who would be happy to bet money in respectable casinos.
Benefits of Working in the Country
Let us consider why this market is still attractive to many operators:
- Loyal and willing audience. Locals show a huge interest in gambling. The Populix online publication claims that 8 out of 10 citizens visit iGaming sites at least once a year.
- Growing niche. Investments made in this direction are only increasing. The PPATK news agency summarised that in 2022–2023, foreign companies poured more than $900 million into the sector. We are talking about such actions as the launch of new gambling projects, the implementation of various information campaigns, and the promotion of the industry’s legitimisation.
- The low value of online traffic. According to the RichAds Internet portal, the price of a click is $0.04 per thousand displays. The cost of acquiring one player is also one of the most affordable in the world, only $4.4. In the jurisdiction, it is profitable to offer any type of gambling, from placing bets in slots to participating in lottery draws.
- Prospects for market legalisation. Indonesia is a secular state with a modern and educated population, a good investment climate, and well-developed tourism. Entrepreneurs hope that the authorities will soon take a step towards allowing companies to offer games for money. The minimum program is making the work of land-based casinos and bookmakers’ offices official in tourist areas and large cities (Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bandung).
Characteristics of the Target Audience
In Indonesia, people from 18 to 24 years old show the greatest interest in gambling. These are students and young professionals who make up 68.1% of the total number of players. They see the placement of bets on digital platforms as a way to make a good profit and have fun with friends or colleagues.
The second group of customers is people between 25 and 34 years old. These are already accomplished individuals with stable earnings. They consider iGaming products as an excellent way to spend free time. Their share among all players is 37.1%.
Indonesia is one of the few countries where the female audience of entertainment sites predominates over the male ones. According to Statista, 68% of virtual casino users are women of different age groups.
Popular Types of Gambling
Let us look at the solutions that Indonesians prefer the most:
- Slots. These are linear and cluster options, as well as games with jackpots and good bonuses. People love slot machines made in an oriental style. These games have a bright local flair.
- Board entertainment. This segment is dominated by traditional Southeast Asian products: Sic Bo, baccarat, craps, mahjong, roulette, etc. Besides, locals often place bets at live casinos. They highly value the friendly atmosphere, pleasant communication with croupiers, the spirit of competition, and unconditional support.
- Lotteries. Customers like scratch cards, lotto, bingo, keno, and other solutions. More than half of residents visit the offshore website of the popular Sports Toto Malaysian raffle. Other in-demand options are Shio Togel and Chu Togel.
- Arcades. Players enjoy spending time avoiding obstacles or solving various puzzles. Logic games and products with multiplayer support are especially sought after. A striking example is the Higgs Domino Island digital domino. In 2022–2023 alone, the app was installed more than 50 million times.
- Sports betting. Football, basketball, badminton, volleyball, boxing, and MMA are priority disciplines. The national badminton team is a repeated winner of prestigious international tournaments. Indonesians enjoy watching the performances of their favourite athletes and placing bets. The government is negotiating to host a Formula 1 event, given its high popularity.
- Fantasy sports. FIFA 23 is the most downloaded simulation game in the country. Besides, locals also compete in Shrapnel and Parallel shooters. They also like DraftKings, Gold Fever, and Fungiball (the latter was designed for tennis fans).
Focus on Mobile Users
Almost 70% of organic online traffic comes from personal devices. Therefore, it is important for operators to develop and promote not only desktop sites but also mobile betting applications.
The Start.io publication claims that Android-based gadgets are extremely sought-after in Indonesia. Therefore, when creating advertising campaigns, it is worth taking into account the features of this system. iOS technology is not so in demand: only 20% of adult residents own it.
Popular brands of smartphones for virtual gambling:
- OPPO;
- Vivo;
- XiaoMI Redmi;
- Realme.
Payment Preferences
Populix Research Center states that in 2023, Indonesians made more than 168 million transactions in digital casinos and mobile bookmakers’ offices. It is obvious that the online format prevails over the land-based sector.
This is affected by both the ease of access to entertainment through offshore resources and the variety of settlement methods in the market.
Popular financial solutions:
- Bank transfers. Most often, clients prefer plastic or electronic MasterCard or Visa cards. Transactions are characterised by high speed and low commissions.
- Local payment options. These are e-wallets and apps supported by local banks. The most well-known examples are Xendit, GoPay, LinkAja, and Jenius.
- Mobile operations. People can create a digital account based on their mobile number. The amount of money used will be added to the monthly subscription fee.
Indonesians value simplicity, convenience, high speed, and security of transactions. An important factor is support for micro-transfers and a minimum level of service fees.
Cryptocurrency payments are only gaining popularity here. The method is usually chosen by residents of the capital and other large cities. People who live in the provinces prefer traditional banking transactions but entrepreneurs need to remember that it is important to take into account the individual restrictions of financial institutions.
Communication Channels
Residents of Indonesia are active users of social media. They most often search for information and leave comments on Meta, Instagram, or LinkedIn. Casino entertainment can also be promoted in instant messengers but business owners need to observe current advertising restrictions.
Almost a third (32.1%) of locals spend 3 or 4 hours on the Internet every day. Apart from social platforms, they actively use Google and y2mate.com (a YouTube bootloader program).
The country’s government has successful experience in blocking various services and social messengers. Thus, in the summer of 2022, the Ministry of Communications limited access to such well-known eSports platforms as Steam, Dota, Counter-Strike, and Epic Games.
Advertising Campaigns
Among the effective methods of promoting online casinos, we can name:
- affiliate marketing;
- native advertising;
- SEO and SMM.
Push notifications are also quite effective in the state. They should be integrated into SMM or contextual ads.
Push creatives have become the basis for mobile casino marketing, which shows high results in the market.
Together with the tool, it is advisable to use:
- Pictures related to luck. These can be figurines of a dragon, a phoenix, or a dancing monkey (it symbolises lightness and fun).
- Images reflecting local flair. These are ancient Indonesian patterns, geometric shapes in the colours of the national flag, etc.
The Main Things about Gambling in Indonesia
The placement of bids in virtual casinos is extremely in demand among residents of this country.
Key characteristics of the jurisdiction:
- Officially, all types of entertainment for money are prohibited in the state. In practice, the audience often visits foreign iGaming or betting platforms. The most popular solutions are slots, lotteries, and live dealer options.
- Among the advantages of working in the market are such factors as a growing casino niche, audience loyalty, and low cost of driving web traffic. It is expected that the authorities will soon legalise gambling, given the high interest of locals in this sphere.
- To attract the target audience, it is necessary to focus on mobile traffic, carefully consider advertising campaigns, and add well-known payment solutions.
You can order legal and modern software from the Rosloto studio. We offer turnkey online casinos, White Label platforms, and other cost-effective products.
Business owners can create iGaming startups independently or using our universal constructor.
From us, it is also possible to order the following useful services:
- development of HTML5 slots;
- assistance in obtaining a licence;
- writing a business plan;
- security software connection;
- promotion of gambling projects, and much more.
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