By: Agung Priyatna ) *
The government of President Prabowo and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka has taken various measures to protect the public from fraud under the guise of online gambling. The public is also advised to always be careful of the lure of online gambling which often offers the illusion of victory.
Until now, online gambling has developed into a form of fraud that is very detrimental to society. Behind the ease of access offered by digital platforms, hidden illegal practices are set up in such a way as to trap players to continue to be trapped in the game that has been arranged.
Many people are trapped in false hopes of winning, when in fact they never really have a chance to win. In fact, in some cases, this online gambling is promoted in a cunning way through fake job vacancy advertisements that trap job seekers as online gambling admins. Therefore, the government’s firmness in eradicating this practice is very important to protect the public.
The Ministry of Manpower (Kemnaker) took swift action to address this issue. They focused on taking action against job vacancy advertisements that turned out to be aimed at recruiting online gambling admins. This case was revealed after a netizen revealed an experience about a job vacancy advertisement that led to the position of online gambling admin, even though the advertisement initially mentioned the position of Customer Service.
Responding to this, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Manpower, Anwar Sanusi, explained that online gambling operators continue to try to find new ways to utilize digital platforms, both to run online gambling operations and to recruit workers with fraudulent methods. This kind of practice is very disturbing, because it not only threatens the economic aspect, but also the mentality of the community who are trapped in an unfair game.
Following up on the case, the Ministry of Manpower is working with the Indonesian National Police to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators of job vacancy fraud. Several reports have been received regarding a similar mode, where the job vacancy advertisements ask for personal data such as identity, telephone number, or WhatsApp, which are then used to trap applicants into the world of online gambling.
The government also appealed to job portal managers to be more aware of the risk of fake job advertisements that lead to online gambling recruitment. This is done so that the public does not fall into a trap of fraud that is detrimental. The Ministry of Manpower also asked job seekers to be more careful and precise in responding to incoming job advertisements, especially in the form of emails or personal messages that have the potential to deceive. This kind of counseling is very important so that the public can recognize and avoid suspicious job offers, which can lead to material and psychological losses.
Support for the government’s firm action came from various parties, including from job vacancy platforms such as Jobstreet. After a report regarding job vacancy advertisements related to online gambling, Jobstreet immediately deactivated the advertisements and blocked the accounts of the related companies. Although initially there was no indication of violations in the advertisements that were displayed, after the report, the company did not respond to Jobstreet’s clarification efforts. Therefore, the deactivation action was taken to prevent a wider impact. This shows that collaboration between the government and digital platforms is very important in combating online fraud.
However, the problem of online gambling is not limited to fake job advertisements. Coordinating Minister for Political, and Security Affairs (Menko Polkam), Budi Gunawan, emphasized that online gambling is a form of fraud. According to him, although many people are trapped in the hope of winning the game, the reality is that online gambling has been arranged in such a way as to ensure that players always lose and cannot withdraw the money they have deposited. Online gambling programs, especially in the form of slot games, are designed to manipulate the results and make players feel as if they have a chance of winning, even though the winnings have been arranged to increase the player’s deposit.
Budi Gunawan explained that online gambling operators use very sophisticated mechanisms to deceive players. One of the mechanisms used is the release of endorphins in players who win the game, which makes them feel happy and want to play more. However, after they continue to play and their deposits get bigger, the game is set to beat the players, so they lose their money without being able to withdraw it. This phenomenon is very detrimental, because it not only makes players lose money, but also causes a deeper dependence on online gambling.
The government continues to make efforts to educate the public about the dangers of online gambling, both through campaigns and through strict action against online gambling perpetrators who are detrimental. In addition, the public must also be more vigilant and wise in choosing digital platforms, and always be careful with suspicious job offers.
Ultimately, eradicating online gambling that has harmed many people requires cooperation between the government, digital platforms, and the community. All parties must unite to combat this illegal practice so that the community is not trapped in detrimental fraud, and to create a safer and more transparent digital environment.
)* The author is a contributor to the Indonesian Gold Forum