Is It Legal to Play Poker in Indonesia?
Indonesia is a large country with a population of over 261 million people. The government here has strict gambling laws that prohibit the majority of forms of gambling. This includes poker and casinos. While poker is a game of skill and not merely luck, the government deems it to be a form of gambling. Consequently, it is illegal to play poker in any casino in Indonesia.
Online poker sites are one exception to this rule. The Indonesian government can’t block international internet poker sites as they are outside of the country’s jurisdiction.
This leaves a small window of opportunity for players in the country to play poker at online poker rooms and casinos that accept Indonesian players. Fortunately, a VPN (virtual private network) can help to keep your identity safe when playing at these sites. Using a VPN can encrypt your internet connection so that the sites can’t see that you are located in Indonesia.
Despite the harsh gambling laws in the country, Indonesia is still home to some of the world’s best poker players. This includes Johnson “John” Juanda who has won five World Series of Poker bracelets and a World Poker Tour championship.
Although it is not possible to find an Indonesian poker site, there are many other options for poker players in the country. For example, the iPoker and MPN networks allow Indonesian residents to deposit and withdraw in rupiah via bank transfer. In addition, the popular EntroPay card can be used to fund an online poker account and can also be used to make other purchases on the internet.