Jakarta – The phenomenon of online gambling in Indonesia is increasingly worrying, with widespread negative impacts, ranging from economic and social to mental health. This practice has become increasingly accessible thanks to technological advancements, allowing people to place bets simply through their smartphones.
Satria Utama, a Sharia Economics expert at Muhammadiyah University of Yogyakarta (UMY), believes online gambling significantly impacts household consumption patterns. He notes that many families who initially had a budget for basic necessities are now sacrificing their income to gambling.
“When social assistance funds that should be used for food, children’s schooling, or healthcare are instead used for gambling, it’s no longer an individual problem,” said Satria.
He added that the situation worsened when online gamblers tried to cover their losses with online loans (pinjol).
“They lose, so they dig a hole and cover it with online loans. The suffocating interest rates make it even harder for them to escape the cycle of problems,” he said. This often leads to marital breakdown and a far-reaching domino effect.
From a mental health perspective, Dr. Lahargo Kembaren, SpKJ, a psychiatrist at the National Mental Health Center at Dr. H. Marzoeki Mahdi Mental Hospital in Bogor, stated that gambling addiction is a serious illness.
“In the brain, the neural circuits are disrupted, making it very difficult for sufferers to stop,” he said. He emphasized that gambling addiction can lead to financial loss, depression, anxiety, and even suicide attempts.
“Many patients come with broken homes, lost jobs, and depleted assets. Gambling destroys not only your finances, but also your soul and social relationships,” Lahargo added.
This negative impact is further exacerbated by fraudulent practices by online gambling site operators. The West Jakarta Metro Police recently uncovered the modus operandi of online gambling site owners and administrators who deliberately prevented players from winning.
“Money is transferred to the online gambling website account and deposited into the player’s registered account. Afterward, the player gambles online on the website, but the administrator prevents the player from winning because it has been rigged,” said West Jakarta Police Chief Senior Commissioner Twedi Aditya Bennyahdi some time ago.
Twedi stated that within three months, the perpetrator managed to rake in profits of around Rp100 million. Police also discovered that the perpetrator routinely changed the site’s domain every 7–10 days to avoid detection.
This case highlights how online gambling not only harms players, but is also run with a system that is set up to trap victims.*
