Supporting Government Efforts to Tighten Regulations to Eradicate Online Gambling
By: Andi Mahesa
The phenomenon of online gambling (judol) in Indonesia has grown rapidly in recent years. The impacts are very detrimental, both in terms of economy, social, and psychology. Not only does it damage individual lives, online gambling also adds to the burden on the state by potentially increasing crime, fraud, and illegal money circulation. In facing this threat, the Indonesian government has taken serious steps by tightening regulations in various sectors to eradicate online gambling.
One of the first steps taken by the government is to tighten regulations related to prepaid SIM cards. As expressed by member of Commission I of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Sumail Abdullah, the circulation of prepaid SIM cards that can be purchased without strict identity verification is one of the loopholes often exploited by online gamblers. In fact, many fake identities are used to purchase SIM cards, which are then used to access online gambling sites.
The government must immediately improve regulations related to prepaid SIM card registration, so that every SIM card purchase is made with valid and accountable data. Thus, the identity fraud commonly used by online gambling perpetrators will be hampered. If this step is implemented properly, of course the room for online gambling perpetrators to move will be increasingly limited, and the possibility of illegal transactions will decrease drastically.
In the long term, tightening prepaid SIM card regulations can create a safer ecosystem, where personal identity information is better protected. This will also make it easier for authorities to track if a crime occurs related to online gambling.
In addition to SIM card regulations, the Ministry of Communication and Digital (Kemkomdigi) also continues to actively block online gambling sites. The Director General of Digital Space Supervision at Kemkomdigi, Alexander Sabar, said that the government has so far handled more than 5 million online gambling content, most of which are unauthorized websites and applications. This blocking is a very appropriate step to reduce public accessibility to online gambling.
Kemkomdigi not only carries out blocking, but also collaborates with various digital platforms to accelerate the removal of online gambling content. Cooperation with digital platforms is very important, considering that most of the distribution of online gambling content is through social media and internet-based applications. In this case, the involvement of the community, technology companies, and the government in monitoring and blocking online gambling content is needed to create a safe and healthy digital space.
Cooperation between the government and law enforcement officers is also worthy of appreciation, because strict legal follow-up against perpetrators of the spread of online gambling sites will have a deterrent effect and reduce the intensity of cybercrime related to online gambling. These steps show the government’s commitment to protecting the public from the negative impacts of online gambling that can damage the mentality and financial stability of individuals.
Then, what is no less important is the increase in selectivity in making passports. As explained by the Head of the Immigration Directorate General of Immigration, Novan Indriyanto, his party is increasingly selective towards passport applicants who wish to travel to countries known as centers of illegal online gambling activities, such as Cambodia. Many online gamblers use passports to operate abroad and carry out their illegal activities.
The supervision efforts for the issuance of these passports have a very clear goal, namely to limit the movement of online gamblers who involve countries that still have legal loopholes in regulating online gambling practices. With these restrictions, the government hopes to be able to suppress the movement of online gambling perpetrators, as well as reduce the number of cases involving Indonesian citizens who are caught in illegal gambling practices abroad.
Success in eradicating online gambling cannot depend solely on government policy. Full support from the community is needed to create an environment that is cleaner from online gambling activities. Therefore, it is important for the community to participate in supporting government policies that tighten regulations and combat this illegal practice.
All communities must work together to voice the importance of restricting access to online gambling and avoiding all forms of support for this detrimental practice. This is also a shared responsibility, both as individuals and as part of the wider community, to protect the younger generation from the negative impacts caused by online gambling.
