It seems that online gambling sites are becoming a serious concern of the government. In fact, online gambling sites are gambling games that violate the law in Indonesia. The younger generation has the advantage of absorbing more information and digital skills, but online gambling sites are spying on young people. This is what makes me upset because the site camouflaged into an online game.
The head of PPATK Ivan Yustiavandana, when meeting with KPAI, revealed hundreds of thousands of Indonesian children from various age groups, namely from 11-19 years old, exactly 197 thousand children, seen online gambling cases, even alleged Ivan that the gambling money of these children is worth 239 billion rupees.
Notwithstanding the concern and violence over the online gambling case, the public is increasingly eager to participate in its eradication, supporting the National Movement for the Elimination of Online Gambling.
Chairman General of KADIN Special District of Jakarta and Independent Commissioner of BUMN PT Angkasa Pura Supports, Diana Devi has declared war on online gambling and all forms of gambling must be continued. Because, the danger of gambling is almost the same, even more than drugs. Because gambling is connected to a person’s mentality and it’s hard to control.
The government with the people must continue to fight gambling. A war against gambling must be a universal war of all sides. Starting with families, religious figures, schools, even businessmen and governments, they have to do so so as not to ruin the younger generation.
It’s become a public secret, as a result of online gambling, someone got stuck on online loans, households got messed up, divorce rates rose drastically. Of course the children will be the victims, too. So, not just children, adults need to be kept alert to the danger of gambling.
Diana added that the government should also monitor and tighten up all forms of gambling. The closure of online gambling sites must not cease to be done. Because online gambling when closed one grows a thousand. Then the government should not lose with online gambling.
On the other hand, the people must join in eradicating gambling in their territory so that no space is given. The security apparatus must also be vigilant, and not conspicuous with the gambling businessman. Certainly, the eradication of online gambling must be massively and systematically carried out so that there is no gap to grow fertile in a country where generations of nations must be carefully guarded so as not to be damaged.
Director and Trainer at GRAK System Management Consultant Bandung, Arfi Rafnialdi expressed his concern over the online gambling issue that is now spreading among children. He believes that the cycle of online gambling can have a negative impact that leads to criminal acts to mental affairs. The ease of access and addictive nature of online gambling can be a serious threat to public life.
In addition, the contribution of parents and teachers is needed to monitor the activity of children in accessing the exercise. Because, online gambling sites can be easily accessed through various promotional systems in the virtual world. Parents can distract their children from physical activity. Meanwhile, the school can enforce the rules of practice.
Since this gambling activity starts from the habit of children interacting with gadgets, it is necessary to understand children as homoluden, is a playful creature. Then parents and schools need to introduce alternative games so that they do not dissolve in the gadget.
A comprehensive solution must be a joint commitment of both the government, the judiciary, schools, and parents so that future generations can be saved from the online gambling trap.
According to data from the Minister of Political Affairs, Law and Security (Menko Polhukam) Hadi Tjahjanto, at least 80,000 children under the age of 10 have been trapped in the world of online gambling. This figure is equivalent to 2% of the total online gambling in Indonesia which is estimated to reach 4 million people.
To address this problem, there needs to be an intense increase in digital literacy, especially among schoolchildren. The integration of digital literacy into the Free Learning curriculum is a very important step.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Communications and Informatics (Kominfo) continues its efforts to eradicate online gambling in various ways. One is through massive digital literacy education to society. Through the Instagram account @literasididgitalkominfo, Kominfo provides guidelines to recognize features of online gambling sites and preventive measures and reporting.
Cases of online gambling involving young people have been widely and give a clear picture of the negative impact. Some of the cases involve teenagers who spend their savings, even parents’ money, on gambling. There are also cases where students volunteer to commit crimes like stealing to finance their addiction to online gambling.
A striking example is the case of a student in Jakarta who had to drop out of university due to an online gambling addiction. Initially, the student tries to gamble online to fill up his spare time, but then gets caught in a cycle of defeats and wins that keeps him playing. As a result, he not only lost large amounts of money but also the opportunity to complete his education.
With threats ranging from financial losses to mental health problems, it is important for all governments, schools, parents, and communities to work together to tackle this problem. Proper education, supervision, regulation, and support are key to protecting younger generations from the dangers of online gambling and ensuring they have a better future.
)* The author is a social observer