Government Implements Severe Penalties for Online Gambling Operators
By: Felicia Octavia )*
The government is increasingly strict in taking action against online gambling operators by imposing severe penalties on the perpetrators. This step was taken as an effort to eradicate online gambling practices that disturb the public and harm the country.
Various operations have been carried out by the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Indonesian National Police to arrest parties involved in this illegal business, including those who manage online gambling sites such as Agent 138, Dafabet, and Judi Bola. In addition to prosecuting the perpetrators, the government is also tightening regulations on digital platforms that still provide space for online gambling content.
The Criminal Investigation Unit of the Indonesian National Police has succeeded in arresting four suspects involved in managing the online gambling site Agent 138. This site is known to be one of the sources of funds for the construction of the Aruss Hotel in Semarang. From the investigation carried out, it was revealed that the hotel was financed using profits obtained from online gambling practices.
The four suspects who have been arrested have the initials JO, JG, AHL, and KW. They have different roles in operating the gambling site. JO, JG, and AHL were arrested in Lampung on January 7, 2025 and have been detained at the Bareskrim Polri detention center since January 8, 2025.
The three suspects played a role in managing deposit and withdrawal transactions and were responsible for customer service on the Agent 138 site. Meanwhile, suspect KW was arrested in Jakarta on January 14, 2025, as a customer service manager who supervised employee activities online.
In addition to uncovering the Agent 138 case, the Bareskrim Polri also managed to uncover two other online gambling cases, namely H5GF777 and RGO Casino. In the H5GF777 case, two suspects have been named, namely MIA and AL, who are suspected of being the site managers.
The evidence confiscated from this case reached IDR 47 billion. Meanwhile, in the RGO Casino case, five people have been named as suspects, including HJ alias Zeus, who acted as the operational manager and controller of 17 other gambling sites.
The suspects were charged with various articles in Law Number 1 of 2024 concerning Electronic Information and Transactions, and Law Number 3 of 2011 concerning the Crime of Fund Transfer. They were also subject to sanctions based on Law Number 8 of 2010 concerning the Prevention and Eradication of Money Laundering and Article 303 of the Criminal Code with a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
In line with efforts to eradicate online gambling, the government continues to take proactive steps to prevent the increasing prevalence of online gambling activities. The Ministry of Communication and Digital Space (Kemkomdigi) is committed to closing access to sites that provide online gambling services. Online gambling is considered a serious threat that requires full attention from all parties.
The Minister of Communication and Digital, Meutya Hafid, emphasized that the government will not remain silent in facing this problem. In concrete steps, Kemkomdigi has collaborated with various digital platforms to close as many as 807,587 online gambling-related content spread across various websites and IP addresses.
As a form of regulatory strengthening, starting February 1, 2025, the Ministry of Communication and Digital will impose administrative sanctions on Private User-Generated Content (PSE UGC) Electronic System Organizers who do not comply with the policy of terminating access to illegal content. Platforms that fail to moderate online gambling content will be subject to gradual sanctions, ranging from warnings to substantial fines.
To ensure the effectiveness of this policy, the Ministry of Communication and Digital uses the Content Moderation Compliance System (SAMAN). In fact, the Ministry of Finance is also involved in supporting this policy with the Online PNBP Information System (SIMPONI), which allows fines from violations to go directly to the state treasury.
This government step has received full support from various parties, including member of Commission I of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Sumail Abdullah. He highlighted the importance of regulating the sale of prepaid SIM cards as a preventive measure against online gambling.
According to him, prepaid SIM cards that can be purchased with fake data are a loophole for perpetrators to transact in online gambling. If the regulation on SIM card sales is tightened, online gambling activities can be minimized significantly. He believes that with firm steps against prepaid SIM cards, the problem of online gambling can be resolved immediately.
The Director General of Digital Space Supervision of the Indonesian Ministry of Communication and Digital, Alexander Sabar, revealed that from 2017 to January 2025, Kemkomdigi has handled more than five million online gambling content. His party is also working with the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) in investigating the flow of funds related to online gambling. This effort aims to trace the source and recipient of the flow of funds from online gambling activities that are detrimentalsociety.
The government continues to be committed to eradicating online gambling by taking firm action against the perpetrators and eliminating loopholes that allow this illegal business to continue to grow. The public is also urged to be more vigilant and report any suspicious activity related to online gambling. With solid cooperation between the government, law enforcement officers, and the community, it is hoped that the phenomenon of online gambling can be suppressed to the maximum in order to create a safer and healthier digital environment for all.
)* The author is a contributor to the Pertiwi Institute