Issuance of Government Regulation Will Accelerate Handling of Online Gambling
Jakarta – The government will soon issue a Government Regulation (PP) as a step to accelerate handling of online gambling in Indonesia. Minister of Communication and Digital (Menkomdigi) Meutya Hafid emphasized that this regulation will regulate the authority of ministries and institutions more broadly so that the eradication of online gambling can be carried out more effectively.
“We think this also needs a PP because it is cross-sectoral. So the payment system, banking regulations, regulations at the OJK, those also need to be in line with this. Therefore, we also plan to make a special regulation on how to resolve online gambling more integrally,” said Meutya at the Ministry of Communication and Digital Office, Central Jakarta.
Meutya added that so far the eradication of online gambling has been regulated through Ministerial Regulations and Ministerial Decrees, but these regulations are still limited to the scope of the Ministry of Communication and Digital. With the PP, this regulation will cover various related government agencies to ensure more coordinated and integrated actions.
“Currently, the regulation is only in the Ministry of Communication and Digital, not supported by other regulations. So [a regulation is needed] at a level above the Permen (Ministerial Regulation), above the Permen and Kepmen (Ministerial Decree),” he explained.
The direction to immediately issue this PP came directly from President Prabowo Subianto. On Monday, February 17, 2025, Prabowo instructed the Minister of Communication and Digital to accelerate the preparation of a stronger legal umbrella in dealing with the rampant online gambling.
“The President again discussed the development of handling online gambling and one of the steps that will be taken in the near future is to issue a regulation, possibly in the form of a PP,” said Meutya when giving a press statement at the Presidential Palace of the Republic of Indonesia, Jakarta.
So far, the government has blocked almost one million online gambling sites. However, Meutya admitted that blocking efforts alone are not enough to overcome the problem as a whole. Therefore, a collaborative approach with various parties, including the police and the prosecutor’s office, will continue to be strengthened through this regulation.
In addition, the government is also increasing preventive measures through socialization and education to the public regarding the negative impacts of online gambling. This effort is expected to reduce the number of online gambling users and narrow the scope for perpetrators who continue to look for loopholes to operate these illegal sites.
Indonesia is one of the countries in ASEAN that strictly prohibits online gambling practices. Therefore, the government not only targets perpetrators and service providers, but also takes firm action against influencers who promote and facilitate online gambling content on various digital platforms.
With the issuance of this PP, the government hopes to accelerate the eradication of online gambling more comprehensively and prevent wider negative impacts on society and socio-economic stability.
