Blocking access to gambling content over 2.5 million times is “just the beginning”
Indonesia’s struggle against online gambling continues to be a significant concern for the government.
In 2023, KomInfo, the Ministry of Communications and Information, took decisive action by blocking access to gambling content over 2.5 million times.Minister Budi Arie Setiadi acknowledges that this is just the beginning, as education and collaboration with private sectors, law enforcement, and the banking industry are essential in completely eliminating online gambling.
The minister’s stance against online gambling stemmed from its detrimental impact on various aspects of society.
During the inauguration of the Cyber Crime and Online Gambling Task Force last July 19, 2024, he emphasized that online gambling has severely damaged community life and must no longer be tolerated. He cited examples of factories laying off employees due to their addiction to online gambling, which can lead to crime and unproductivity.
Minister Budi Arie also shared data from the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) revealing that over 4,000 military personnel, around 15 people in KomInfo, approximately a thousand members of DPR/DPRD, and 30 individuals in the KPK were exposed to online gambling. Such extensive penetration into various sectors highlights the urgency for further actions against this issue.
The Ministry of Communication and Information has been relentless in its efforts to eradicate online gambling content. In the one-year period from July 17, 2023, to July 17, 2024, KomInfo terminated access to over 2,552,749 gambling sites – a significant increase compared to the six years prior which saw only around 800,000 content blocks.
With the formation of the RI-1 Cyber Crime and Online Gambling Task Force, Minister Budi Arie expressed his gratitude for the collective efforts in addressing this issue. Together with stakeholders, the government aims to combat not just online gambling but also cybercrime in the digital space.
