Indonesian police arrest man for running bets on PlayStation football matches streamed live on TikTok
Central Java police arrested a 27-year-old man in Kudus on 22 October 2026 on suspicion of running an online gambling operation in which viewers bet on the scores of PlayStation football matches he streamed live on TikTok. Police say bettors transferred money to his bank account and that he took a 5% commission on every stake, earning about Rp25 million in two months. He is charged under Article 426 of Indonesia's new Criminal Code.
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Overview
- The Cyber Crime Directorate of the Central Java Regional Police arrested a man identified as MR, 27, at his home in Kudus regency on the evening of 22 October 2026.
- Police say he streamed football matches played on a PlayStation, in the game Winning Eleven 2010, through a TikTok account called "DrogNovv Backup" and ran score-prediction bets on them.
- Police say bettors had to transfer money to a bank account he used, and that he kept a 5% commission on every bet. Police say he made about Rp25 million in roughly two months.
- Officers seized two phones, a computer, a camera with tripod, a microphone, the PlayStation and a bank account holding Rp25 million.
- He is charged under Article 426 of Law No. 1 of 2023 on the Criminal Code, the gambling provision of the code that took effect in January 2026.
How the scheme worked
According to Central Java Police's cyber crime director, Senior Commissioner Wahyu Nugroho Setyawan, officers found the TikTok account "DrogNovv Backup" broadcasting live football matches played on a PlayStation console. Local reports citing the police statement identify the game as Winning Eleven 2010.
"The suspect's method was to organise online gambling using a score-guessing mechanism on virtual football matches broadcast through the TikTok account DrogNovv Backup," Wahyu said in Semarang on 24 October, according to the national news agency Antara and the police news site Tribratanews.
According to police, people who wanted to join had to transfer money to an account used by the suspect. "From every bet that came in, the suspect earned a commission of 5 percent," Wahyu said. Police say the activity ran for about two months and brought in around Rp25 million (roughly US$1,500).
According to police, the matches were not real sporting events: the suspect allegedly controlled the stream and the game being bet on, and collected the stakes in a bank account he used.
Arrest and evidence
Police arrested MR at his home in Kedungdowo, Kaliwungu district, Kudus, at around 8pm local time on Thursday 22 October. Officers seized:
- two mobile phones;
- a computer with monitor;
- a camera with tripod and a microphone;
- a PlayStation set;
- a bank account with a balance of Rp25 million.
Investigators are still examining how the betting worked, the financial transactions and the flow of funds linked to the account.
The charge
MR is charged under Article 426 of Law No. 1 of 2023 on the Criminal Code, the gambling article of Indonesia's new Criminal Code, which replaced the colonial-era code in January 2026. Local media citing police reported that the offence carries a maximum prison sentence of nine years.
Central Java police spokesperson Senior Commissioner Yuliyanto urged the public not to use social media for illegal activity, including online gambling.
The case follows other Indonesian enforcement against gambling disguised as games or entertainment, including the national police's bust of the Boxkia gacha-style gambling site.
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Daniel Tan is an editor at AskSpinner News who believes industry writing can be informed, approachable and engaging. Daniel turns complex subjects into accessible articles and reports, giving readers a welcoming way into unfamiliar topics and room to build their understanding as they read.
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