Indonesia establishes multi-agency taskforce to crack down on online gambling

Indonesia’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (Kominfo) has revealed plans to establish a task force to combat online gambling, a pastime that remains completely illegal nationwide.

In a statement, Kominfo said the task force would comprise representatives of multiple government agencies including the Financial Services Authority (OJK), Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK) and the police, according to local media outlet Bernama.

It will also work with Interpol to combat cross-border cases given the government’s lack of past success in blocking foreign operators.

“Kominfo will oversee the digital space, OJK will manage accounts and PPATK will handle fund flows, and the police will carry out arrest and investigation duties,” said Usman Kansong, the Ministry’s Information and Public Communications Director.

Minister Budi Arie added that the Ministry “has also issued a warning to all social media platforms, cellular operators and internet service providers not to facilitate any form of online gambling promotion. We have done everything within the authority of Kominfo.

“We from the Ministry of Communication and Information are fully determined. At the beginning of the week I gathered all our teams at Kominfo to work together to eradicate online gambling.”

The task force is Indonesia’s latest action against online gambling, which in 2012 announced similar plans to eradicate such activity due to what it said at the time was the significant amount of money gambled by locals on the Euro 2012 football championship.