Jakarta – The Indonesian government under President Prabowo Subianto is strengthening efforts to eradicate online gambling through stricter regulations and synergy between institutions.
This step was marked by the formation of the Online Gambling Eradication Desk (Judol) which became active on November 4, 2024.
This desk focuses on three main priorities, namely law enforcement, strengthening regulations, and public education.
Minister of Communication and Digital (Menkomdigi), Meutya Hafid, explained that her party has collaborated with major digital platforms such as Google, Meta, and TikTok to remove keywords related to online gambling.
“We have written to Google. We have also written to TikTok. We have also written to Meta to cooperate in removing these keywords,” said Meutya.
To date, the government has successfully blocked 1,361 keywords on Google and 7,252 keywords on Meta.
However, Meutya admitted that this process takes time because large digital platforms often follow their own company rules.
“We are encouraging them to also follow the laws in Indonesia. As we know, gambling may not be against the law in other countries, but in Indonesia it is against the law,” he added.
In addition, Meutya said that the government will continue to strengthen communication with technology companies, cellular operators, and internet service providers.
“This afternoon, the Director General of Artika will meet with the companies to discuss further steps,” he concluded.
On the other hand, the Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs (Menkopolkam), Budi Gunawan, emphasized the importance of public education regarding the dangers of online gambling.
“Online gambling is a scam. This program is set up so that people will definitely lose, so that in the end they can’t withdraw their money,” said Budi.
He also stressed that the joint desk will trace the flow of online gambling funds to target money laundering practices.
This commitment is in line with President Prabowo’s grand vision, namely “Together Indonesia Advancing Towards Golden Indonesia 2045”, which is realized in the eight Asta Cita missions.
One of its missions, namely legal and bureaucratic reform, includes eradicating online gambling, drugs and corruption.
National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo also reported significant results from efforts to eradicate online gambling.
“So far, we have uncovered 789 cases involving 397 suspects, confiscated evidence worth Rp220 billion, and closed 32,322 online gambling sites,” he said.
This step was appreciated by the Indonesian Police Watch (IPW) as a commitment by the Police in supporting the vision of President Prabowo’s government.
By strengthening regulations, cross-agency synergy, and public education, the government hopes to be able to completely cut off online gambling networks in order to protect the public from its negative impacts.