THE Online Gambling Eradication Task Force has lost direction in its battle against the illegal activity on the Internet. This ad hoc unit established by the government spends more time putting up banners and other gimmicks.
Its nervousness was apparent in the response from the authorities to an individual with the initial ‘T,’ whom Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Agency Chief Benny Rhamdani claimed to be an online gambling boss. Rather than looking into this allegation, the Indonesian National Police Criminal Investigation Department accused Benny of spreading fake news. He subsequently backed down and apologized. The opportunity to ascertain the true facts about whether ‘T’—whoever it is that Benny was referring to—is really a gambling boss was lost.
The Online Gambling Task Force, with all its resources, could have carried out an in-depth investigation into Benny’s claim. He would not have made this statement if he did not have valid information, especially since one of his responsibilities is dealing with human trafficking, meaning he has a good understanding of the matter.
This online gambling is not controlled from Indonesia, but from countries such as Cambodia. There, gambling is legal. Stories of Indonesian migrant workers being employed by companies involved in online gambling or online scamming are not simply made-up. Many of these migrant workers have fallen victim and have suffered hardships.
The sums of money involved in the online gambling business are fantastic. According to the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center, the total amount involved in online gambling transactions from 2023 until March this year was Rp427 trillion, more than state funding for education, which is only around Rp143 trillion per year.
According to the Communication and Informatics Ministry, around 2.7 million people in Indonesia gamble online, with 80 percent of them on low incomes. The remainder have various backgrounds, such as professionals or even members of the House of Representatives and Regional Legislative Councils.
There are various temptations to gamble online all over the Internet. Advertisements for online gambling are spread by influencers using various digital platforms. This should be something that the Gambling Online Task Force concerns itself with.
With its responsibilities coming to an end in December this year, the Online Gambling Task Force can no longer use ordinary methods. It must deploy all its resources to stop the massive spread of online gambling. Arrests of gamblers or raids on minimarkets selling credits for gambling will not stop this destructive business.
One solution the Online Gambling Task Force could use is to cut off access to the people behind online gambling. Bilateral or multilateral cooperation with other countries that are safe havens for online gambling bosses could be used as a strategy. The government could declare online gambling a transnational crime. This would be an important way of capturing gambling bosses overseas.
But the government appears to be halfhearted in its efforts to eradicate online gambling. The misplaced focus of the task force on targeting online gamblers rather than going after the bosses shows the government is not serious in its assessment of the impact of online gambling on the public. The task force ignores the elephant in the room in order to go after the little people, the small-time gamblers.
If the Online Gambling Task Force continues its lackluster performance, President Joko Widodo should dissolve it and maximize the role of existing law enforcement bodies. Without any clear direction, it will be difficult for any organization to eradicate an activity with such strong financial and technological support.