Government Strengthens Digital Literacy on the Dangers of Online Gambling in Border Regions
Riau Islands – Syaiful Garyadi, Assistant Deputy for Data Protection and Electronic Transactions Coordination (Asdep PDTE) at the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs, emphasized that the government continues to strengthen the public’s digital literacy as an effort to eradicate the increasingly widespread practice of online gambling.
“The threat of online gambling not only undermines socio-economic stability, but also poses a risk of misuse of people’s personal data. The government is very serious about eradicating online gambling, having established an Online Gambling Eradication Desk involving ministries, central and regional institutions, and regional heads,” Syaiful emphasized.
The Riau Islands were chosen as the location for the discussions because the region shares a direct border with Singapore and Malaysia. This geographical location is considered vulnerable to being exploited as a gateway for transnational online gambling networks.
According to data from the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK), out of the Riau Islands’ total population of 2.18 million, 66,097 people are suspected of engaging in online gambling. In fact, data matching with the Ministry of Social Affairs found that 2,377 social assistance beneficiary families (KPM) were involved in this practice, with total deposits reaching IDR 8.31 billion.
The Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs, as the coordinator of the Online Gambling Eradication Desk, is committed to strengthening synergy with the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK), the Indonesian National Police (Polri), the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (Kominfo), the Ministry of Social Affairs, the National Cyber and Cyber Agency (BSSN), and local governments. The focus of this collaboration is on aligning data protection policies, strengthening regulations based on the ITE Law and the PDP Law, and mainstreaming digital literacy as an early preventative measure.
“Digital literacy is one of the keys to eradicating online gambling. It’s not just about mastering technology, but also building critical awareness so that the public doesn’t fall for the lure of online gambling. With synergy between institutions and public support, we are optimistic that we can suppress the rate of online gambling in Indonesia,” he explained.
Local governments have also affirmed this commitment. The Bintan Regency Government, for example, is tracking civil servants suspected of involvement, collaborating with the Financial Services Authority (OJK) and Bank Indonesia (BI) for guidance, and intensively raising awareness about the dangers of online gambling through various communication channels.
The Governor of the Riau Islands, Ansar Ahmad, believes that synergy between the central and regional governments is crucial to ensure that the President’s priority programs truly benefit the public.
“Synergy between the central and regional governments is key to ensuring that the President’s priority programs truly benefit the public. At the same time, we must strengthen digital literacy as a bulwark against the threat of online gambling, especially in border areas like the Riau Islands,” he said.
This outreach not only prevents economic losses but also protects the younger generation from the social and moral impacts of this illegal practice.
[w.R]
