35 Indian citizens sentenced for running illegal online gambling ring in Bali
An Indonesian court sentenced 35 Indian nationals to two to two-and-a-half years in prison for operating an illegal online gambling platform on Bali.
In Denpasar, a court convicted 35 Indian nationals for their role in an online gambling scheme based on the island of Bali, where gambling is prohibited. The defendants had arrived on tourist visas and were accused of advertising and handling transactions for a gambling site that earned up to eight billion rupiah each month. Presiding judge Putu Gde Novyartha sentenced most of them to two years in prison, while two received two and a half years.
The ruling also includes mandatory deportation after the sentences are completed and a ban on future visits to Indonesia. Authorities highlighted that the illegal gambling sector in the country produced over 280 trillion rupiah in turnover last year, involving millions of participants. The case follows earlier arrests that prompted officials to consider tightening visa-free entry rules for certain foreign nationals.
