Horrified, Indonesian Online Gambling Players Have Reached This Much, Turnover IDR 600 T

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – The number of Indonesian citizens who play online gambling has reached 3 million. In the online discussion “Dying Impoverished Because of Gambling,” the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) revealed that there are around 3.2 million Indonesians who play online gambling.

“What I mean is this, as long as demand is high, it is said that 3.2 million Indonesians are addicted to or have fallen into gambling, if demand is still high then supply will find its own way technologically,” said the Director General of Information and Public Communication at Kominfo, Usman. Kansong, quoted from detikcom, Saturday (15/6/2024).

The Ministry of Communication and Information (Kominfo) views high demand as the main reason online gambling is increasingly mushrooming in Indonesia.

Therefore, Usman said that the Online Gambling Eradication Task Force, which was just inaugurated by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) on Friday (14/6/2024), relies on two ways to eradicate online gambling.

First, with prevention efforts carried out through education and literacy. In this case, Minister of Communication and Information Budi Arie Setiadi, as Head of Prevention, was given a mandate by the president to educate the public to reduce demand for online gambling.

Furthermore, the second effort was action commanded by the National Police Chief, General Listyo Sigit Prabowo. In connection with this, Usman said that the Directorate General of Informatics Applications, Kominfo, was also involved in reducing it [takedown] online gambling sites or sites that display online gambling.

“We will work to cut off supply and at the same time cut off demand. In the context of cutting off demand, community participation from the smallest units has been conveyed. The President has said that, our self-defense will be decisive. If our self-defense is strong because we have literacy, education, religion too, then be tempted by anything [termasuk] “Online gambling, of course we have to defend ourselves,” he said.

On the same occasion, PPATK Public Relations Substance Group Coordinator M Natsir Kongah, revealed that his party has currently blocked around 5 thousand accounts of Indonesian people who are suspected of online gambling. Temporary estimates show that there are around 3.2 million online gambling players who come from various backgrounds such as students and housewives.

“More than five thousand accounts. I can't remember the value of the figures. But if accumulated from the first quarter of 2024, it would have reached IDR 600 trillion in turnover. Accumulation,” said Natsir.

[Gambas:Video CNBC]

(fsd/fsd)