Kominfo Vows to Eradicate Online Gambling Before Jokowi's Term Ends

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Minister of Communication and Information (Kominfo) Budi Arie Setiadi said that he is working to completely eradicate online gambling before President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's office term ends in 2024. He also said that the President had instructed him to close down such illegal practices.

“We are trying to eradicate online gambling,” Budi Arie told journalists at the ministry's press room on Thursday, November 2, 2023. “Online gambling is destructive and harmful to small communities.”

In the past few months since his appointment as Kominfo Minister, Budi Arie has often spoken about the fight against online gambling because of its tremendous destructive impact on society.

The Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) reported that the circulation of money through online gambling transactions has continued to see a significant increase over the years. 

“It was Rp57 trillion in 2021, and in 2022, it increased significantly to Rp81 trillion,” PPATK spokesman M. Natsir Kongah said on Saturday, August 26, 2023.

He emphasized that the situation is extremely concerning as not only adults but also school students are involved in online gambling.

In addition, Natsir revealed that reports of suspicious financial transactions related to online gambling have also increased. In 2021, the number was 3,446 and jumped to 11,222 in 2022. Then in 2023, there were 916 reports in January, 831 reports in February, and 1,096 reports in May.