The Government Remains Committed to Blocking Online Gambling Content to Clean Up the Digital Space
Jakarta – The government, through the Ministry of Communication and Digital (Kemenkomdigi), has reaffirmed its commitment to continuing to combat the spread of online gambling content in Indonesia. As of January 21, 2025, more than 5.7 million pieces of online gambling content had been successfully blocked from various digital platforms.
The Director General of Digital Space Supervision at the Ministry of Communication and Digital Technology, Alexander Sabar, in a hearing with the online gambling working committee of Commission I of the Indonesian House of Representatives, said that since 2017, his party has blocked up to 5,707,952 online gambling content.
“Most of the content was found on platform X [formerly Twitter] with 1.4 million findings, followed by Facebook and Instagram owned by Meta with 735 thousand contents.
Meanwhile, from October 2024 to May 2025, the Ministry of Communication and Information has blocked more than 1.3 million pieces of online gambling content.
Although the blocking rate is quite high, Alexander admits that the challenge in eradicating online gambling is still very large.
“We are facing constantly changing methods, as well as the ease with which perpetrators can create new sites and disguise them on various digital platforms,” he explained.
One major obstacle is the location of online gambling servers, most of which are located overseas. This complicates the handling and enforcement process. Therefore, the government continues to strengthen cross-border cooperation and encourages international digital platforms such as Meta, Google, and TikTok to actively participate in cracking down on illegal content.
“Blocking efforts are not enough. Global involvement and commitment from all platforms are needed to filter and take firm action against online gambling content,” Alexander stressed.
Populix research also revealed that online slots, dominoes, and poker are the most popular types of online gambling in Indonesia. Judol advertisements are frequently found on social media platforms like Instagram (48%), YouTube (45%), and Facebook (45%). Their distribution methods are increasingly sophisticated, ranging from sponsored content to hidden links disguised in users’ feeds.
The government recognizes that blocking alone is not enough to curb the spread of online gambling. Therefore, a comprehensive strategy has been launched, including digital education for the public. “Digital literacy must be improved, especially among the younger generation, so they are not easily tempted by online gambling content and advertising,” added Alexander.
Despite the various challenges, the government remains committed to ridding the digital space of illegal gambling practices. Moving forward, strengthening regulations, improving education, and international collaboration will be key to addressing the growing threat of online gambling.
