The atmosphere in one of the buildings at Kampong Dewa Resort, Sihanoukville, Cambodia, on Tuesday (5/12/2023). Dozens of people are seen on the third floor of the building, standing guard in front of computers until late at night.
President Joko Widodo has finally signed the Presidential Decree on the Task Force for the Eradication of Online Gambling. The Decree, numbered 21 of the year 2024, was dated June 14, 2024.
The presidential decree stipulates that the task force is led by the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs as the chairman and the Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture as the vice chairman. The daily prevention task is assigned to the Minister of Communication and Information Technology, while the daily law enforcement task is given to the Chief of the Indonesian National Police.
This presidential regulation was issued after at least three closed meetings led directly by President Joko Widodo. The last two meetings were recorded on April 18 and May 22, 2024.
We will immediately work so that this online gambling is completely finished.
Online gambling is now a complicated problem. This is because bookies or judol networks – as they are often abbreviated – can be located in other countries. However, the entangled residents infiltrated remote areas and into various professional backgrounds.
A daily investigation by Kompas December 2023 found that online gamblers generally also get into debt with online loans to cover their desire to continue gambling. As a result, debts pile up and problems become increasingly difficult to overcome.
The Cyber Crime Team of the Jatanras Sub-Directorate, Ditreskrimum Polda Metro Jaya uncovered online gambling run by a family in Bogor Regency by buying and selling chips for games on smartphones. A total of 23 suspects were presented in the case disclosure release at Polda Metro Jaya Headquarters, Thursday (6/6/2024).
A series of tragic events
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.
Also read: Online Gambling Law Enforcement Is Not Considered Serious
Recently, it was also revealed that Soldier Dua Prima Saleh Gea, a member of the Health Battalion 1 Infantry Division 1 Kostrad in Bogor, allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself 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. Currently, the soldier has been returned to his family in North Nias, North Sumatra.
The Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) reported that the turnover of online gambling money throughout 2023 reached Rp 327 trillion. From the end of 2023 to March 2024, the Financial Services Authority (OJK) also blocked at least 5,000 accounts related to online gambling.
Communications and Information Minister Budi Arie Setiadi explained that a task force is needed to make prevention and enforcement efforts to eradicate online gambling more holistic. Previously, ministries/institutions acted individually.
Also read: Online Gambling Money Turnover Reaches IDR 327 Trillion
The Ministry of Communication and Information can block online gambling accounts, but other accounts easily emerge. The Financial Services Authority can block, but cannot open or freeze accounts. This can only be done by law enforcement officers. Therefore, according to Budi Arie, the task force is expected to comprehensively eradicate the issue.
Although it has claimed many victims, the formation of the task force seems slow. Since the meeting on April 19, the new presidential decree was only issued on June 14. However, Budi Arie denies that the process was lengthy.
“No, not long, it’s fast. You’re the one who said it’s long,” he evaded the journalist at the Presidential Palace Complex in Jakarta on Thursday (13/6/2024).
Budi Arie added that the eradication of online gambling or illegal online lending will be carried out comprehensively. “We cannot do it halfway, all sectors must work together,” he said.
Minister of Communications and Information Technology Budi Arie Setiadi provided a statement to journalists after the third closed meeting regarding the handling of online gambling on Wednesday (May 22, 2024).
The Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture will also address the impacts suffered by the victims. “We have provided a lot of advocacy to those who are victims of online gambling. “For example, then we included it in the DTKS (integrated social welfare data) as a recipient of social assistance,” said Coordinating Minister for PMK Muhadjir Effendy, Thursday (13/6/2024), at the Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta.
Similarly, for those who experience psychosocial disorders. “We ask the Ministry of Social Affairs to intervene in providing guidance and instructions,” said Muhadjir.
Also read: President Promises “Online” Gambling Task Force to be Formed Soon
Minister of Home Affairs and Security Hadi Tjahjanto has also emphasized that immediate action will be taken after the presidential decree is issued. “We will immediately take action to completely eradicate online gambling,” he said on Wednesday (June 12, 2024) in Jakarta.
The use of the hashtag #KPS on Tiktok social media indicates the area of Kompong Som, also known as Sihanoukville, the capital city of the Sihanoukville province in Cambodia. The photo was taken in Jakarta on Tuesday, December 12th, 2023.
InKompas‘s investigation in early December 2023, online gambling was controlled by Indonesian citizens from Cambodia. From tracking the operation of online gambling sites, it is known that one of the sources of operation is in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.
The effectiveness of the task force is questionable
For this reason, public policy lecturer at Airlangga University, Surabaya, Gitadi Supramudyo doubts the effectiveness of the Online Gambling Eradication Task Force. Whether the task force is effective or not depends on the goals and targets set from the start and the parameters used to measure performance.
“Secondly, it depends on the capacity or expertise of team members who are at least on par with the expertise of those recruited by online gambling group management,” said Gitadi from Surabaya, on Sunday (June 15, 2024).
In addition, the good intention to eradicate online gambling requires firm and serious execution. Therefore, according to Gitadi, good intentions alone are not enough. Without strong execution, the eradication of online gambling will only move back and forth.