Will the “Online” Gambling Task Force Formed by President Jokowi be successful?

3. How much money does online gambling generate in Indonesia?

4. How bad is the online gambling phenomenon in Indonesia?

5. Where should the government eradicate the roots of online gambling?

Will the “Online” Gambling Eradication Task Force formed by President Jokowi be successful?

President Joko Widodo has finally signed a Presidential Decree (Keppres) concerning the Task Force for the Eradication of Online Gambling. Keppres number 21 of 2024, signed on June 14th, includes an order to the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) as the chairman, and the Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (PMK) as the vice-chairman. The task of daily prevention operations has been entrusted to the Minister of Communication and Informatics (Menkominfo), while the daily law enforcement chairmanship is assigned to the Chief of the Indonesian National Police (Kapolri).

Also read: Jokowi Signs Presidential Decree for the “Online” Gambling Task Force, Will Eradication Be More Effective?

The task force began its work since Presidential Decree 21/2024 was signed on June 14, until December 31, 2024. The task force’s working period may be extended if deemed necessary. The extension of the working period must also be determined through a presidential decree.

Apart from supporting efforts to accelerate the eradication of online gambling in an integrated manner, the task force is also tasked with fighting this societal disease from upstream to downstream.

Also read: Task Force Formed, “Online” Gambling Will Be Eradicated from Upstream to Downstream

In carrying out their duties, the Minister of Communication and Information as the daily prevention chair and the National Police Chief as the daily law enforcement chair will be evaluated by the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs as the Chair of the Online Gambling Eradication Task Force at least every three months. Evaluation is one of the efforts to measure the effectiveness of the task force’s work.

Looking at the details of the task force’s duties, the public believes that Presidential Decree 21/2024 is a breath of fresh air in efforts to eradicate online gambling. Because the task force shows the government’s serious efforts, not just a formality. Therefore, the public is waiting for the task force’s real action.

Also read: Public Waits for Real Action by the Task Force to Eradicate Online Gambling

Why does the government feel the need to form an Online Gambling Eradication Task Force?

The spread of online gambling content is becoming more concerning as tens of thousands of them have infiltrated educational and government institutions. The Ministry of Communication and Informatics noted 14,823 online gambling content infiltrating educational institution websites and 17,001 infiltrating government institution websites.

In addition, from July 17, 2023 to May 21, 2024, the Minister of Communication and Information Technology has already removed 1,904,246 online gambling content. A total of 5,364 accounts and e-wallets affiliated with online gambling have been submitted to OJK (Financial Services Authority) and 555 other e-wallets have been submitted to Bank Indonesia to be blocked.

Also read: Online Gambling Content Increasingly Alarming, Government Forms Eradication Task Force

The Minister of Communication and Information Technology has blocked millions of online gambling content, while the Police have also uncovered hundreds of online gambling cases. However, the perpetrators who have been caught are only limited to on-site operators. Nonetheless, these efforts have not proven to be effective in reducing the illegal practice. The lack of an integrated system makes online gambling difficult to eradicate despite causing harm to the general public.

Also read: Even though it is not yet optimal, there is nothing wrong with trying to eradicate online gambling with the Task Force

Therefore, extra efforts such as tracing the flow of money and internet networks used are needed to capture major online gambling dealers.

Also read: Targeting Big Bookies, Eradicating Online Gambling Requires Extra Efforts

Seeing the online gambling phenomenon that has trapped many citizens, President Jokowi held a special meeting to discuss online gambling on Thursday (18/4/2024) afternoon, at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta. The government realizes that online gambling not only damages the lives of citizens, but also threatens the life of the nation.

Also read: Against “Online” Gambling, President Jokowi Holds Special Meeting Regarding Online Gambling

It was during that meeting that it was agreed to form a special task force to eradicate online gambling. With this task force, it is hoped that the eradication of online gambling will become more holistic. All agencies that have been working separately are required to work together to complete the eradication of online gambling.

Also read: Government Ready to Form Integrated Task Force to Eradicate Online Gambling

How much money does online gambling generate in Indonesia?

In the first meeting discussing online gambling at the Merdeka Palace, it was also revealed that the turnover of online gambling money in Indonesia throughout 2023 was fantastic, reaching IDR 327 trillion. Apart from that, from the end of 2023 to March 2024, 5,000 accounts related to online gambling have been blocked. Also read: Online Gambling Money Turnover Reaches IDR 327 Trillion

A number of online gambling cases that have been uncovered by the police also show relatively large turnover. One of them is the online gambling case which was successfully uncovered by Polda Metro Jaya at the end of April. Online gambling which is allegedly run by four operators has a turnover of up to IDR 1 billion per month. Also read: Four “Online” Gambling Promoters Arrested, Earning Turnover of up to IDR 1 Billion Per Month

How bad is the impact of the online gambling phenomenon in Indonesia?

Online gambling has claimed victims, not only from civil society but also from TNI soldiers and police officers. One TNI soldier, First Lieutenant Doctor Eko Damara, committed suicide due to alleged depression caused by being straddled with hundreds of millions of rupiah in debt. The TNI Navy revealed that the debt, amounting to hundreds of millions of rupiah, was likely used for online gambling.

Also read: Lettu Eko Damara is said to have committed suicide because he was in a lot of debt

Shortly after, Soldier Dua Prima Saleh Gea, a member of the Health Battalion 1 of the Infantry Division 1 Kostrad Bogor, also died by hanging himself suspected of being involved in online gambling. The soldier was found dead in the OB Room of the Yonkes 1/YKH/1 Kostrad Field Hospital in Bogor on June 4, 2024.

Also read: Again, TNI Soldier Suicides Because of Online Gambling

On June 8, a female police officer (polwan) in Mojokerto City, East Java, set fire to her husband who was also a police officer. Allegedly, the policewoman was annoyed because her husband often spent his salary playing online gambling.

Also read: Salary Runs Out for Online Gambling, Policewoman in Mojokerto Burns Her Husband

Losses due to online gambling can also spread in other directions, such as attacks by pornography which destroys the demographic bonus and online loans which are increasingly selling well.

Also read: Online Gambling Threatens the Demographic Bonus

Where should the government eradicate the roots of online gambling?

The government believes that the key to exposing online gambling is by opening 5,000 suspicious accounts that have been identified by the OJK. These suspicious accounts show anomalies in the form of a high frequency of large transactions with small transaction values.

Also read: Opening of 5,000 Suspicious Accounts Key to Online Gambling

The government has communicated with a number of online platform providers to break the chain of the online gambling ecosystem. One of them is by threatening a fine of IDR 500 million for platform providers who still promote online gambling.

Also read: IDR 500 Million Fine for Digital “Platforms” That Still Promote “Online” Gambling