By: Ahmad Gani Surya ) *
The Indonesian government under the leadership of President Prabowo Subianto has shown a strong commitment to eradicating online gambling or better known as judol. The preventive measures taken by the government show their seriousness in addressing this problem, which has disturbed many groups, especially those with lower-middle incomes.
The increasing number of online gamblers involved in this illegal activity, which includes individuals from various backgrounds, has increasingly triggered government concerns to take immediate action.
As part of the concrete steps, the Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi) has blocked more than 300 thousand contents related to online gambling. In the period between October 20 and November 18, 2024, the government managed to close a number of online gambling platforms , both on websites, social media platforms such as Meta and X, and file sharing applications such as Google and Telegram.
This blocking effort is carried out as part of the government’s commitment to ensuring that Indonesia’s digital space remains healthy and free from illegal activities.
The Ministry of Communication and Digital, led by Meutya Hafid, is working with various related institutions, such as the Indonesian National Police (Polri) and the National Cyber and Crypto Agency (BSSN), to block and supervise online gambling activities .
The Main Expert of the Presidential Communications Office, Prita Laura, said that eradicating online gambling is one of the government’s priorities, which aims to maintain social and economic stability and protect the younger generation from the negative impacts of online gambling.
The steps taken by the government are not only limited to blocking online gambling sites , but also include strengthening internal supervision in government institutions. The Minister of Communication and Digital has reiterated his commitment to increasing the number of supervisory personnel to ensure that officials within the ministry are not involved in illegal gambling practices. This is part of the government’s efforts to maintain integrity and build a sense of love for the country among ministry employees.
The government has also identified several sectors that play an important role in online gambling transactions , such as the banking sector and e-wallet service providers. In the midst of efforts to clean up the digital space, the government has worked with Bank Indonesia and other financial institutions to close accounts used for online gambling transactions .
The banking sector, including major banks such as BCA, BRI, and Mandiri, were found to be involved in online gambling transactions. In this case, the government urged all parties, including financial service providers, to increase supervision of suspicious transactions.
Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Budi Gunawan revealed that the value of online gambling transactions in Indonesia in 2024 has reached a very large figure, which is around IDR 900 trillion. With the number of players estimated to reach 8.8 million people, including most of the lower middle class, online gambling has become an increasingly widespread social problem.
In some cases of online gambling , there are also members of the TNI and Polri involved in this online gambling, thus adding to the complexity of the problem.
The government has taken firm steps by forming a cross-ministerial task force involving various agencies to handle this problem comprehensively. This task force is tasked with tackling online gambling by blocking content, closing accounts used in illegal activities, and increasing digital literacy among the public. This effort is considered important so that the public, especially the younger generation, has a better understanding of the risks of online gambling and can avoid it.
On the other hand, Esa Unggul University Academician, Dr. Iswandi, stated that President Prabowo’s firmness in dealing with the problem of online gambling has had a positive impact. The policies taken by the government, especially in terms of blocking gambling sites and educational campaigns, have helped the public to be more aware of the dangers of online gambling . This step is also very important to protect the younger generation from gambling addiction that can ruin their lives, both financially and morally.
In Iswandi’s view, this assertiveness is a form of strong and responsible leadership. Under President Prabowo’s direction, the government has succeeded in demonstrating effective preventive measures in limiting the spread of online gambling . Through blocking gambling sites and applications and increasing digital literacy, the government hopes to minimize the negative impacts of online gambling and create a safer and more ethical digital space.
Overall, the preventive steps taken by the Indonesian government in eradicating online gambling show a strong commitment to maintaining the country’s social and economic stability.
Blocking sites, closing accounts, and increasing digital literacy are part of a comprehensive and coordinated strategy carried out by the government to tackle the problem of online gambling . With continued efforts and support from all levels of society, it is hoped that Indonesia can be free from this detrimental online gambling practice.
)* The author is a contributor to the Indonesian Gold Forum
