Collective Efforts of Community Elements to Increase Awareness of the Dangers of Online Gambling
By: Raka Aditya Putra
Online gambling is increasingly rampant and worrying, especially for the younger generation who are vulnerable to negative influences. Various elements of society, including youth organizations, religious institutions, and social observers, have shown high awareness in preventing the negative impacts of online gambling. One of them comes from the Indonesian Mosque Council Youth Association (Prima DMI), which actively educates the public about the dangers of online gambling.
The General Chairperson of Prima DMI, Munawar Khalil, emphasized that online gambling is not just a legal problem, but also a moral challenge that has the potential to damage the social and economic order. He said that this phenomenon is growing rapidly due to easy internet access, lack of digital literacy, and weak regulations on online gambling activities. Therefore, all elements of the nation are invited to unite in efforts to eradicate online gambling.
Prima DMI proposes eight strategies to deal with this problem. Some of these include the formation of a special Task Force for online gambling, transparent blocking of sites, and collaboration with the police and educational institutions to improve digital literacy. The Secretary General of Prima DMI, Affandi Ismail Hasan, emphasized that this organization has a moral responsibility to educate the younger generation so that they do not fall into online gambling.
In addition, Prima DMI also plans to form a Digital Ambassador to campaign for Islamic digital literacy and spread positive narratives to counter the promotion of online gambling. In an effort to rehabilitate victims, they will establish the Judol Crisis Center which provides psychological and spiritual counseling services. They also collaborate with the Financial Services Authority (OJK) in helping affected families and providing financial education to prevent losses due to online gambling.
Not only that, other preventive measures are also taken through a national petition initiative that pressures the government to act more firmly in eradicating online gambling sites. The Director of Digital Literacy for Youth of the Prima DMI Mosque, Indra Syahfirman, said that this organization not only demands the eradication of online gambling, but also offers concrete solutions to prevent society from falling into this practice.
Collaboration with the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) was also carried out in compiling contemporary fiqh guidelines on online gambling. This aims to provide a broader understanding to the public regarding the prohibition of gambling from a religious perspective.
Digital social observer and Deputy Secretary General of the Indonesian Muslim Journalists Brotherhood (PJMI), Rana Setiawan, appreciated the steps taken by Prima DMI. According to him, the community-based approach and cross-sector collaboration implemented by this organization can provide broader and more effective education to the public.
Online gambling is not just a financial problem, but also has an impact on the mental health of individuals who are caught up in this practice. In the XVIII Congress of Muslimat NU, the dangers of online gambling and online loans (pinjol) were one of the main topics discussed in the bahtsul masail forum. Prof. KH. Asrorun Ni’am Sholeh, Katib Syuriah PBNU, highlighted the negative impact of online gambling on mental health, which can lead to serious psychological disorders.
According to Prof. Ni’am, mental health in Islam emphasizes the balance between spiritual and physical well-being. He emphasized that individuals who are trapped in online gambling often experience severe stress to the point of losing control of their lives. Environmental factors, trauma, and economic pressure are the main triggers that worsen their psychological condition.
Cases that often occur are individuals who are in debt due to online gambling or online loans, which ultimately have an impact on family harmony. In some cases, husbands who are addicted to online gambling are willing to mortgage their homes and other family assets, which ultimately causes mental stress for their family members.
Therefore, an active role is needed for parents in educating their children about the dangers of online gambling. Parenting based on religious and moral values can be the main bulwark in preventing the younger generation from falling into online gambling. Early education and supervision of children’s digital activities also need to be improved in order to build awareness of the risks involved.
