By: Arman Panggabean )*
Online gambling is now a serious threat to Indonesian society. Its impacts not only damage the economic aspect but also affect the social and moral conditions of the nation. The government, through various institutions and related agencies, continues to show its commitment to eradicating this illegal practice. Two legal experts, Muhamad Rizky Indriyanto and Roselani Fitri Primarini Dewi, reveal the various challenges and steps that need to be taken to overcome this crime.
According to Muhamad Rizky Indriyanto, online gambling has become an emergency phenomenon that requires serious attention. He explained that easy access to technology has made this practice widespread, even targeting children. This condition is considered very damaging, not only for the perpetrators but also for their families. For this reason, he emphasized the importance of collaboration between law enforcement officers, the government, and the community in combating online gambling.
As a form of concrete commitment, the government has formed a joint desk to eradicate online gambling involving various ministries and institutions. According to the Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs, Budi Gunawan. This desk has three main priorities: systematic blocking of online gambling platforms, law enforcement and tracking of financial flows, and public education campaigns. He added that the action will also focus on money laundering activities related to online gambling, through cross-country coordination.
Public education is one of the main focuses in eradicating online gambling. The government continues to remind that online gambling is a form of fraud that gives false hope to players. According to Budi Gunawan, online gambling operators deliberately design a system so that players always lose and cannot withdraw their money. Therefore, the government is trying to raise public awareness about this danger through a massive campaign.
Budi explained that the platform blocking steps were carried out by involving internet service providers and technology companies. He also emphasized the importance of monitoring the circulation of money used in online gambling. Based on government data, the circulation of online gambling money reached IDR 900 trillion in 2024, with 8.8 million players, the majority of whom came from the lower middle class. In addition, thousands of TNI and Polri members and tens of thousands of children under the age of 10 were found to be involved in this activity.
Minister of Communication and Digital, Meutya Hafid, revealed that banking and digital wallet services also became channels for this illegal activity. Several large banks and platforms such as Dana, Gopay, LinkAja, Ovo, and ShopeePay were reported to be indicated as media for online gambling transactions. Meutya said that her party had submitted hundreds of requests to block accounts used for this activity. In addition, the government has also removed more than 100,000 online gambling sites from a total of more than 380,000 sites detected.
Meutya added that the Ministry of Communication and Digital has opened reporting channels for the public, such as aduankonten.id to report gambling sites and cekrekening.id for suspicious accounts. This step, according to her, aims to completely cut off the operations of online gambling bookies. She also emphasized the importance of public participation in reporting suspicious activities so that action can be taken more quickly and effectively.
Through various steps that have been taken, the government has shown its seriousness in eradicating online gambling. Cross-agency coordination, international cooperation, and the use of technology are the main strategies in breaking the chain of this crime. By prioritizing strict law enforcement and continuous education, Indonesia is expected to be able to face this major challenge and protect society from the negative impacts of online gambling.
Efforts to eradicate online gambling require synergy between various parties, including the government, law enforcement officers, community leaders, and families. The importance of an active role between institutions to ensure that the steps taken can have a long-term impact. Meanwhile, the community also has a responsibility to support this effort, both by increasing supervision of children and by participating in digital literacy programs.
On the other hand, Roselani Fitri Primarini Dewi highlighted the technical obstacles in law enforcement, especially since many online gambling platforms operate from abroad. According to her, the existence of these international platforms makes it difficult to prosecute the main perpetrators. However, she is optimistic that international cooperation and strengthening regulations can help close the legal loopholes exploited by the perpetrators. She also underlined the importance of preventive measures such as educating the public about the dangers of online gambling, including the financial risks and dependencies it causes.
In this context, Roselani considered that educational steps are as important as legal action. He said that without public understanding of the negative impacts of online gambling, eradication efforts will not run optimally. In addition, collaboration between government agencies and the community is also considered the key to success in dealing with this problem.
