Massive Socialization Encouraged, Several Parties Move to Educate on the Dangers of Online Gambling
*) By: Andi Mahesa
In the midst of the onslaught of digital technology advances that provide many conveniences, Indonesia is actually faced with a serious challenge: the rampant practice of online gambling that targets all levels of society, including children and teenagers. Online gambling is not just a violation of the law, but also a real threat to the future of the nation’s young generation. Therefore, the steps taken by several parties who are moving massively to carry out educational socialization about the dangers of online gambling should be appreciated and continue to be supported collectively.
Efforts to prevent and eradicate online gambling cannot only be left to law enforcement officers. This is a multidimensional problem that requires the active involvement of all elements of society: families, schools, religious leaders, communities, and the mass media. Several strategic steps have also begun to be implemented in various regions. Direct socialization to the community, legal counseling to schools, and the implementation of curfew policies are part of a comprehensive preventive approach.
Head of Intelligence at the Sabang District Attorney’s Office (Kejari), Mohamad Rizky, SH., MH., expressed his appreciation for the curfew policy imposed in Sabang. According to him, this policy has proven effective in suppressing negative activities at night, including the potential for access to online gambling. Rizky emphasized that supervision from the family plays a vital role in protecting children from the influence of online gambling. “The family is the main fortress. Parental advice that continues to be a moral filter for children amidst the rapid digital flow,” he said.
What Rizky said reflects the reality that technology, if not handled wisely, can be a double-edged sword. Access to online gambling sites can be done easily via smartphones. This loophole is exploited by gambling operators to ensnare young people with the lure of instant wealth. In fact, in practice, online gambling is a vicious circle that is not only economically damaging, but also psychologically and morally.
As a concrete preventive measure, the police have also intensified outreach activities to the community. Head of Public Relations of the NTB Regional Police, Sr. Comr. Pol. Mohammad Kholid, S.I.K., said that his party routinely conducts socialization on the dangers of online gambling, drugs, and the importance of maintaining public security and order (Kamtibmas), as was recently done to youth groups in the Skip Beach area, Mataram. According to Kholid, this activity is part of a very important preventive strategy, especially for young people who are vulnerable to negative influences.
Then, preventive steps through legal education are an effort to build legal awareness from an early age, so that the community, especially young people, do not fall into actions that can damage their future. His party also emphasized that a persuasive approach through socialization has proven to be more effective in building people’s mindsets than a repressive approach alone.
Meanwhile, in the education sector, the Sabang District Attorney’s Office also plays an active role through the “Prosecutors Enter School” program. This program is designed to provide legal understanding to students directly. The Functional Prosecutor of the Sabang District Attorney’s Office, Fajar Qadri, said that education about the dangers of online gambling is one of the main materials presented in the program. He emphasized that the effects of online gambling are not only financially damaging, but also have a negative impact on children’s psychology.
He added that online gambling can trigger deviant behavior. Children become easily angered, swear, engage in promiscuity, and can even fall into drug abuse. This is a serious problem that must be addressed comprehensively.
This shows that education is the main key to prevention. Whether through regional policies, security approaches, or education in the school environment, all of them lead to efforts to build collective awareness of the community about the dangers of online gambling. A participatory and community-based approach like this should be expanded and emulated in other regions.
The central government has also shown a strong commitment to eradicating online gambling, one of which is through the firm steps of the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) in blocking thousands of accounts affiliated with online gambling. President Prabowo’s support for this effort confirms that the state is present to protect its citizens from destructive practices. However, no matter how good the state’s policies are, they will be in vain if they are not accompanied by active participation from the community.
In this context, the role of community leaders, religious leaders, teachers, and the media is crucial. They can be a bridge between state policy and public awareness. The campaign on the dangers of online gambling must continue to be echoed, notk only when a major case arises, but becomes a routine agenda in social, religious, and educational activities.
Online gambling is a threat hidden behind the cellphone screen. It infiltrates slowly, manipulates psychology, and destroys without being realized. Therefore, let us as Indonesian people continue to educate ourselves and those around us. Make the family the first fortress, make schools a moral refuge, and make the community a guardian of shared values. By moving together, we can build a strong social defense to protect the nation from the trap of online gambling.
*) The author is a student living in Jakarta.
