Government Intensifies Education on Online Gambling Dangers Through Children’s Exhibition “Bentengan”

Jakarta – The Indonesian government, through Bank Indonesia (BI), is stepping up its efforts to educate children and teenagers about the dangers of online gambling. This initiative comes in response to the increasing number of minors falling victim to digital gambling practices, which have become more widespread due to unrestricted access to technology.

One of BI’s concrete steps is the launch of an educational exhibition titled Bentengan, short for Bermain dan Telusuri Uang Lewat Cerita Anak (Play and Explore Money Through Children’s Stories). The exhibition is being held at the Bank Indonesia Museum from July 15 to August 24, 2025. Using interactive methods and child-friendly storytelling, the initiative aims to enhance children’s financial literacy while raising their awareness of digital risks.

“We must ensure that children are not trapped in phishing, online gambling, or illegal online loans. These are the key risks we aim to teach and remind them of through this museum activity,” said BI’s Executive Director of Communications Department, Jurnanto Hediawan, in Jakarta.

The Bentengan exhibition introduces children to the history of payment systems, from the barter era to postal transactions, and eventually to the modern digital era. Uniquely, the educational content is delivered through traditional games like enggrang and bakiak, combined with modern play concepts, ensuring that children stay engaged and socially active.

“Playing is essential for their development. Through play, they learn integration, synergy, coordination, and how to build social networks,” explained Jurnanto.

This initiative is driven by alarming statistics. According to 2024 data from the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK), around 80,000 children aged 10 were already involved in online gambling. This figure jumps significantly to 440,000 in the 10 to 20 age group.

Exhibition Curator, Syefri Luwis, added that most visitors to the BI Museum are indeed students. “Over 50% of this museum’s visitors are children. On regular days, we receive up to 13 buses from various schools,” he said.

With fun and value-driven educational content, the government hopes to prevent younger generations from falling into the trap of online gambling, which threatens to ruin their future.