Online gambling (judol) has become a very prominent issue in Indonesia recently. Not only does this activity have a negative social impact, it is also detrimental to the economy of individuals and the region as a whole. In various regions of Indonesia, from Bima to West Jakarta, judol has caused various serious problems, ranging from regional economic losses, family breakdown, to increasing divorce rates. Below are some facts and impacts caused by online gambling that we all need to be aware of.
Deputy Regent of Bima, Dahlan M. Noer, revealed that judol had a significant negative impact on the regional economy. He stated that money that should have circulated in the Bima region instead flowed out of the region and even abroad through judol activities. This not only reduces the purchasing power of local people but also slows down regional economic growth. According to him, a lot of people’s money was lost and flowed abroad because of judol. This is seriously disrupting the economy and must be stopped immediately.
According to the latest report from the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK), as of May 2024, 5 trillion rupiah of judol funds have flowed abroad, with 20 countries being the destination of this flow of funds, the majority of which are ASEAN countries. Transactions resulting from this illicit activity reach fantastic values. Until the end of 2023, there will be 168 million transactions related to online gambling with a total transaction value reaching 327 trillion rupiah. This economic impact shows how serious the judol problem is, which not only harms individuals, but also the regional economy as a whole.
Judol’s impact doesn’t just stop at the economy. This activity also destroys family harmony. The Chief Executive of OJK Financial Services, Education and Consumer Protection Business Actor Behavior Monitoring, Friderica Widyasari Dewi, highlighted that families affected by judol perpetrators often experience serious problems. He appealed to the affected families to immediately cut ties with the judol perpetrator to avoid worse impacts.
The tragic case involving a female police officer (Polwan) who burned her husband because she was annoyed that he spent money on judol is a clear example of how serious the impact of judol is on family harmony. In many cases, families are the main victims of these illegal financial activities, and often children are also affected, given that they are in an unstable and conflict-ridden environment.
In the West Jakarta area, the impact of judol is also clearly visible from the increasing divorce rate. The West Jakarta Religious Court noted that from January to June 2024, there were 1,943 divorce cases. Of this number, the majority of reasons for divorce are economic problems and online gambling. Public Relations of the West Jakarta Religious Court, Aminuddin, said that around 80 percent of divorce cases were related to economic problems, where online gambling was one of the main factors. Many husbands use money that should be used for family needs instead to spend it playing online gambling. This causes tension in the household, decreases family welfare, and ultimately leads to divorce.
Apart from that, Member of the DPR RI Commission VIII, Wisnu Wijaya Adiputra, revealed that during 2023, there would be ten criminal cases related to online gambling. Meanwhile, from January to April 2024, there were four recorded cases of suicide caused by online gambling addiction. Gambling addiction not only triggers financial ruin, but also fuels the fires of domestic violence (KDRT) and child neglect.
The Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (KPPA) has received six reports related to domestic violence and child neglect. KPPPA Child Rights Fulfillment Deputy Nahar said that his party had received six reports regarding online gambling addiction carried out by husbands which resulted in acts of domestic violence. These reports came from the Madiun area, Tangerang, two cases in Jombang, North Jakarta and Tasikmalaya. In each case, a similar pattern was seen: the husband who was addicted to online gambling sold items in the house, including the children’s belongings for school purposes, in order to fulfill his gambling desires.
Seeing such widespread and serious impacts, comprehensive prevention efforts and education for the public are needed. The Financial Services Authority (OJK) continues to encourage increased financial literacy and inclusion, especially for women who are often victims of illegal financial activities. It is hoped that this financial education can help the public recognize and avoid the trap of illegal financial activities such as judol.
Online gambling is not only an individual problem, but also a social and economic problem that has far-reaching impacts. From regional economic losses, threatened family harmony, to increasing divorce rates, the impact of judol is devastating. Therefore, it is important for all of us to be alert and active in prevention and education efforts. The family as the smallest unit of society needs to be the main bulwark in facing this challenge, with the hope of creating a healthier and more stable environment for future generations.
*The author is an economic observer