Ultimate magazine theme for WordPress.

Government Confirms Online Gambling as Threat to Social and Economic Stability

15

Jakarta – The government is increasingly highlighting the serious threat posed by the rampant online gambling in Indonesia.

The Chairman of the Golkar Party Faction in the Indonesian House of Representatives, Sarmuji, emphasized that the circulation of money in online gambling which reached around IDR 600 trillion did not provide a positive contribution to the national economy. He considered that most of the money actually flowed abroad.

“Online gambling absorbs around IDR 600 trillion of public money, but most of it does not enter the country, but goes abroad,” he said.

Sarmuji added that although the circulation of money related to online gambling is very large, it does not have a multiplier effect on the Indonesian economy.

“Online gambling has no impact on our economy. On the contrary, this activity actually harms economic stability significantly,” he said.

A similar thing was also expressed by a lecturer at the Faculty of Economics, Gorontalo State University, Herwin Mopangga. According to him, online gambling does not generate added value for the economy because of its speculative and unproductive nature. In fact, funds for gambling flow abroad because most gambling platforms are operated by foreign entities.

“This creates foreign exchange leakage that weakens the stability of the national economy. Money that should be used for basic needs, education, or family investment is wasted without any benefit,” he stressed.

He added that online gambling exacerbates social inequality, with the lower class as the main target. This group already faces various economic challenges, such as inflation and rising prices of basic necessities, so their involvement in online gambling only worsens their economic situation.

“Of course, comprehensive efforts are needed to mitigate, rehabilitate, and prevent the spread of online gambling. Law enforcement must be strengthened, including tracking illegal platforms and international cooperation to close cross-country networks,” added Herwin.

Meanwhile, public policy observer and CEO of the Narasi Institute, Achmad Nur Hidayat, highlighted the dangers of online gambling which not only threaten the economy but also social stability. According to him, this illegal activity only benefits a handful of bookies, while the wider community has to bear the negative impacts.

“The big profits from this activity are only enjoyed by the bookies, none of whom have been arrested by law enforcement officers until now. Meanwhile, the negative impacts are felt by the wider community,” he said.

Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published.