Appreciating the Strategy to Eradicate Online Gambling in 100 Days of the Prabowo-Gibran Government
By: Agung Priyatna)*
Online gambling has become a serious problem for Indonesia. The rampant practice of digital gambling shows that existing eradication measures are not yet effective enough. This situation encourages the need to establish a special institution to eradicate online gambling in a more systematic and structured manner. In the first 100 days of the Prabowo-Gibran government, this policy must be a priority to protect the public from the negative impacts of increasingly rampant online gambling.
Although the Online Gambling Eradication Task Force has been established since 2024, online gambling practices remain a serious threat to the future of the nation. Brigadier General Himawan Bayu Aji revealed that the perpetrators continue to adapt by creating new Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) every time their sites are blocked. With the same domain but different URLs, gambling sites continue to emerge without stopping.
In addition, the presence of servers abroad is an additional challenge for law enforcement. Data from the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) shows that the number of online gambling players in Indonesia has reached 4 million people.
The turnover of money in this illegal practice even reached IDR 237 trillion in 2023. The latest case, such as online gambling through the H5GF777 site which resulted in the confiscation of assets worth IDR 47 billion, further emphasizes that this crime cannot be tolerated.
Furthermore, the money laundering case from online gambling profits that dragged the name of Semarang businessman, Firman Hertanto, is proof that this illicit business network has penetrated various economic lines. The seizure of the Aruss Hotel Semarang by the police confirms that online gambling is not just a cybercrime, but also has an impact on the national economy.
Seeing the escalation of cases that are increasingly out of control, the formation of a special institution to eradicate online gambling is a step that cannot be postponed. The proposal to establish this institution has previously emerged in the DPR, especially from the Nasdem Faction through Commission I member Amelia Anggraini.
The institution is expected to be able to work more focused in handling online gambling, including monitoring technological developments exploited by cybercriminals.
In addition, the TNI Headquarters has also taken strategic steps by forming a Task Force for the Prevention, Monitoring, and Action of Soldier Violations. Deputy Inspector General (Irjen) of the TNI, Maj. Gen. TNI Alvis Anwar, emphasized that a special sub-task force has been formed to handle online gambling in the military environment. By utilizing resources from the three TNI branches, this task force seeks to take firm action against soldiers involved in online gambling practices.
The establishment of a special institution outside the TNI and Polri structures is an urgent need. The main focus of this institution must include strict supervision of suspicious transactions, monitoring of servers abroad, and confiscation of perpetrators’ assets which have been a weak point in eradicating online gambling. The existence of this institution will also ensure that cross-sector coordination runs more effectively, especially between the police, the Ministry of Communication and Digital, and financial authorities.
The Prabowo-Gibran government’s commitment to handling online gambling needs to be appreciated. The General Chairperson of the Central Leadership of the Islamic Student Association (PP Hima Persis), Ilham Nurhidayatullah, highlighted the government’s seriousness in the first 100 days of its leadership.
Efforts to eradicate online gambling are included in the priority list that has been implemented along with other programs such as Free Nutritious Meals (MBG), industrial downstreaming, and food self-sufficiency.
Public satisfaction with the performance of the Prabowo-Gibran government also shows a positive trend. The Litbang Kompas survey noted that 80.9 percent of the public were satisfied with the steps taken in the first 100 days. This trust must be maintained by ensuring that the policy of eradicating online gambling is further strengthened through the establishment of a special institution that is able to work optimally.
On a global scale, the threat of online gambling is not only detrimental economically, but also socially. President Prabowo Subianto has highlighted the potential for state leakage due to online gambling reaching Rp 981 trillion. This figure shows that without concrete action, online gambling will continue to be a major threat to economic stability and public welfare.
Online gambling has developed into a cross-border crime that requires a special approach in its eradication. The formation of a special institution in the first 100 days of the Prabowo-Gibran administration is not only a strategic step, but also an urgent need to ensure that this illegal practice does not spread further.
With better coordination between state institutions, firm action against perpetrators, and tighter supervision, the eradication of online gambling can be carried out more effectively. Full support for the establishment of this institution must continue to be echoed so that the policy can be realized immediately for an Indonesia that is cleaner from online gambling. (*)
)* The author is a contributor to the Indonesian Gold Forum
