JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The spread of online gambling among the public is considered increasingly disturbing because it has claimed many lives. The government is trying to eradicate online gambling by forming a Task Force for the Eradication of Online Gambling, which is now just waiting for approval from President Joko Widodo.
Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs) Hadi Tjahjanto revealed that the Online Gambling Eradication Task Force will be formed with a presidential regulation (perpres) as a legal umbrella. “If the presidential decree comes down this week, we will immediately work on it so that online gambling is completely gone,” said Hadi in Jakarta, Wednesday (12/6/2024).
Hadi believes that the increasingly rampant online gambling is causing more and more concern among the community. Moreover, the phenomenon of online gambling has also claimed lives, which is even more worrisome.
If the presidential decree comes down this week, we will immediately work so that online gambling is completely gone.
Victims of online gambling not only come from the general public, but also state officials. At the end of April, a doctor in the RI-PNG Mobile Border Security Task Force, 7th Marine Infantry Battalion named First Lieutenant Doctor Eko Damara (30) was found dead by suicide at the Tactical Command Post of the Military District Command Near Military District Command 1715 Yahukimo, Papua Mountains. The Marine member allegedly committed suicide because he was in debt of up to IDR 800 million which was used for online gambling.
First Brigadier Fadhilatun Nikmah (28) burned her husband, First Brigadier Rian DW (27), to death because he was frustrated because his husband’s salary was spent playing online gambling. This income should be used to finance their household needs. The couple has one two-year-old child and two four-month-old twins. Fadhilatun, who had just returned to work after completing maternity leave, set fire to her husband at the Mojokerto Police Dormitory official residence, Saturday (8/6/2024).
Also read: Again, TNI Soldier Suicides Because of Online Gambling
Recently, it was also revealed that Soldier Dua Prima Saleh Gea, a member of the Health Battalion 1 Infantry Division 1 Kostrad Bogor, died by hanging himself allegedly due to involvement in online gambling. He was declared dead by hanging in the OB Room of the Field Hospital Yonkes 1/YKH/1 Kostrad, Bogor, on June 4, 2024. Now, the soldier has been returned to his family in North Nias, North Sumatra.
Fight the mafia
Hadi revealed that President Jokowi has indeed instructed his subordinates, especially the Ministry of Communication and Information (Kominfo), to fight against online gambling mafia. According to Hadi, throughout the month of June, the Kominfo Ministry has at least taken down accounts that have been proven to openly promote online gambling.
Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/Head of BPN Hadi Tjahjanto.
“We are also working with the Financial Services Authority (OJK) and the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) to block 5,000 accounts which we will immediately follow up on. “We will inform the media about the next steps regarding the Online Gambling Task Force,” he said.
Based on data from PPATK, the turnover of online gambling in Indonesia throughout 2023 is also very large, reaching IDR 327 trillion. Such a tremendous turnover is very detrimental to small communities.
The Kompas investigative team has also traced the phenomenon of online gambling in Indonesia controlled by Indonesian citizens (WNI) from Cambodia, early December 2023. From the results of tracking the operation of Indonesian language online gambling sites in three locations, namely in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, the rise of online gambling in Indonesia is strongly suspected to be related to the gambling industry in Cambodia which is legal in that country.
Certain online gambling sites can still be accessed even though the government has claimed to block content on these sites. Some are brands of “senior” gambling sites; which is often mentioned in court decision files related to online gambling cases (Kompas, 14/12/2023).