JAKARTA – Online gambling is one of the causes of increasing violence and crime in society. This phenomenon not only damages the mentality of the younger generation, but also contributes greatly to new poverty in Indonesia.
Ahmad Athoillah, a member of the East Java DPRD from the PKB faction, emphasized that online gambling addiction triggers financial losses and degradation of the nation’s character.
“Online gambling is not only about financial loss, but also damages mentality and character. The young generation who should be productive are instead trapped in false hopes of getting rich quickly through gambling. This is a big problem for the development of the nation’s character,” said the man who is familiarly called Gus Athoillah.
He revealed that there were around 8.8 million online gambling players in Indonesia in 2024, of which 80 percent were young people from lower social classes.
A recent tragic case in Padang Pariaman further emphasizes the destructive impact of online gambling. A stepfather, BND (33), was cruel enough to abuse his two-year-old stepdaughter because he was frustrated after losing at gambling.
Padang Pariaman Police Chief, AKBP Ahmad Faisol Amir, explained that the assault caused the victim to suffer a broken thigh bone and bruises.
“While the suspect was playing online gambling, his stepdaughter cried, and that triggered his anger. The perpetrator then stepped on the victim’s thigh six times,” said AKBP Ahmad Faisol Amir.
Gus Athoillah added that online gambling addiction also encourages instant lifestyles that distance the younger generation from productivity.
“The young generation should be directed towards education, skills and entrepreneurship. But with online gambling, they are directed towards instant living habits,” he said.
The case in Padang Pariaman is not the only one. Many crimes occur due to economic and emotional pressures triggered by online gambling. To prevent a greater impact, cooperation between various parties is needed to overcome this problem, from law enforcement to digital literacy education.
Strict law enforcement against online gambling platforms must be accompanied by a massive educational campaign about its impacts. In addition, the role of the family is very important in guiding the younger generation to stay away from instant lifestyles.
“We must work together to ensure that the younger generation has access to positive activities, such as education and entrepreneurship, so that they are not tempted by the false promises offered by online gambling,” concluded Gus Athoillah.
