December 24, 2024
JAKARTA – The government has ramped up its efforts to curb the so-called epidemic of online gambling, which is indulged in by around 8.8 million Indonesians and had an illicit turnover of Rp 900 trillion (US$55 billion) this year alone.
Gambling of all kinds is illegal in the country. Under the Criminal Code, people participating in or organizing gambling events may face up to 10 years’ imprisonment and a Rp 25 million fine.
The Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law also restricts the distribution of online gambling software, with people found sharing such programs facing up to six years in prison.
Despite these deterrents, online gambling sites continue to thrive across the country. The websites are often advertised as online mobile games, complicating law enforcement efforts against them.
Pressure started mounting on the government to eradicate these gambling sites, prompting the administration of then-president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to form in June a task force to curb online gambling, the first coordinated effort by the government.
The task force was formed following a report from the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK), which revealed in June that more than 1,000 members of national and regional legislatures participated in online gambling, debunking the perception that it only affected lower- and middle-income earners.
Among its tasks were freezing bank accounts used in the illicit gambling business and taking down illegal websites and advertising.
Since President Prabowo Subianto was inaugurated in October, he has continued to up the ante in the country’s war against online gambling, calling it a “serious threat” to the nation alongside fraud and corruption.
The past several months saw law enforcement institutions intensify their crackdowns against people linked to online gambling.
Among the latest cases was the arrest of 10 Communications and Digital Ministry employees, who allegedly extorted money out of thousands of online gambling websites in exchange for allowing them to operate in the country. The police seized at least Rp 176 billion garnered from an operation run by the ministry employees from April to November.
After questioning an unnamed ministry director general, the police also interrogated former communications and information minister Budi Arie Setiadi on Thursday. The police said that Budi Arie, now the cooperatives minister, was only questioned as a witness in the case.
All in
Aside from the legal efforts, the government has also asked social media platforms and telecommunication providers to take more proactive measures against online gambling.
Tech giants, such as X, Google, Meta and TikTok, were urged to quickly block gambling sites, or risk being slapped with sanctions in Indonesia, as stated by Communications and Digital Minister Meutya Hafid.
The government also agreed to work with major telecommunications operators, including state-owned Telkomsel and XL Axiata, in educating the public on the dangers of online gambling.
These efforts will include sending text warnings to mobile users and enforcing a Rp 1 million cap on phone credit transfers between users. Credit transfers are often misused by users for online gambling.
But the efficacy of these efforts has been questioned by observers, such as Wahyudi Djafar of rights group Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (ELSAM), who said the government was still too focused on law enforcement in curbing online gambling.
“When you arrest one dealer, more dealers and websites will appear because the algorithm used in online gambling makes people addicted to create the demand,” Wahyudi said.
“The problem with online gambling is addiction. Just like in drug crimes, authorities should not prosecute users, only the dealers. The government should push to prevent users from being addicted through rehabilitation and digital literacy,” he continued.
Authorities and observers have been on red alert in regard to online gambling due to a spate of homicides and suicides over the past year linked to illegal betting.
In September, a man from Sumedang regency, West Java killed his own wife because she refused to give him money to pay debts incurred through his gambling habit, as reported by kompas.com.
Three months previously, a policewoman in East Java set her husband on fire over his gambling habit. The husband, who was also a police officer, spent most of his earnings to fund his addiction rather than buying household needs.
Cases of suicide linked to online gambling have also been reported within the armed forces, with an officer in the Navy shooting himself in April at a base in Papua Highlands after racking up a debt of over Rp 800 million. The incident followed another apparent suicide by a soldier in West Java in June, as reported by kompas.id.