How to Play Poker in Indonesia
When it comes to poker, Indonesia isn’t one of the hottest spots for the game. However, the country is not completely without top-tier talent. In fact, the region is a hotbed of poker talent, led by players like John Juanda and Darus Suharto. These two men have amassed tens of millions in tournament winnings over their careers and are among the world’s best players.
Gambling is a big business in Asia and is expected to continue growing rapidly. The problem for the majority of countries is that they don’t seem to be able to crack down on the illegal gambling industry or regulate it effectively. For this reason, many people in these countries are going the underground route and playing poker. The government in Indonesia is not very interested in regulating the gaming industry either, so it’s illegal to gamble in the country and those caught face a few years in jail.
Luckily, the Internet is a great thing and, as of now, the Indonesian government has not blocked access to a lot of global online poker sites. You won’t find a lot of sites with local language options but you will be able to find international poker sites that accept players from Indonesia. The main issue for Indonesian players is figuring out how to fund their accounts at these sites as many of the major banks do not allow Indonesians to make deposits. Fortunately, there are other options for funding your account including e-wallets and cryptocurrency.