Jakarta. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo vowed on Wednesday to launch a massive crackdown on online gambling, which he said involves transnational networks.

In a video message, the president announced that his government will establish a task force against online gambling to expedite operations.

“The government is making serious efforts to combat and eradicate online gambling. We have taken down 2.1 million gambling websites so far,” the president said in the video posted on the State Secretariat’s YouTube account.

“The task force on online gambling will soon be established to accelerate our efforts to eradicate online gambling, which is transnational, cross-border, and cross-authority by nature,” he added.

He noted that gambling addiction can lead to property losses, breakdown of personal relationships, and increased crimes and violence.

“Don’t engage in gambling, either offline or online. If you have spare money, save it or use it to start a business,” Jokowi said.

He warned that what is at stake in gambling is not just money, but also “your future and that of your family and children.”

His remarks came after an incident in which a policewoman in Mojokerto burned her police officer husband to death after allegedly discovering that he had wasted his annual bonus on online gambling.

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