The government’s efforts to eradicate online gambling continue to receive support from various groups, including academics who see this problem as a serious threat to society.
Lecturer of Media and Culture Studies from Muhammadiyah University of Surabaya, Radius Setiyawan gave his appreciation to the government that has formed a special task force to handle this issue. According to him, this step is very relevant considering the social impact caused by online gambling.
“The issue of online gambling is a bit different. Who owns the practice? There must be a lot of people involved. This (task force) must be appreciated, but there are notes. The task force is relevant because the condition of online gambling is very worrying. It needs to be eradicated to the roots,” said Radius.
Radius also highlighted how online gambling harms people’s imagination, especially those under economic pressure. According to him, many people are trapped in the illusion of getting rich instantly through online gambling.
“Everyday he lives under economic pressure. When there is an offer on social media, with a gadget you can earn this much, people are easily tempted and deceived. But we need to see, is he a victim or a perpetrator?” said Radius
He also reminded that the approach to the perpetrators must also consider the aspect of the victims who were deceived by the lure of getting rich quick.
Likewise, the Executive Director of the Indonesian Digital Consumer Institute (LKDI), Abdul Kholik, M.Si, assessed the Police’s quick steps in carrying out the President’s instructions as a real action that deserves appreciation.
“We understand it as a war against online gambling. We are also proud and respectful of the Police’s swift action in immediately carrying out the President’s order to eradicate online gambling,” Abdul said.
Abdul added that this effort is expected not to stop at Komdigi employees who are only implementers.
“What we expect from the police is to arrest their superiors who gave them orders,” he continued.
This support from academics shows that eradicating online gambling is not only the responsibility of the government and law enforcement, but also requires collaboration from all elements of society to eradicate it to the roots.