Indonesian influencers arrested, civil servants being targeted in country’s war against online gambling

JAKARTA: Indonesia’s war against online gambling has intensified, with the government warning that the problem runs rampant across the country’s civil service sectors even as it arrests social media influencers it alleges were promoting such activities. 

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Hadi Tjahjanto on Tuesday (Jun 25) said that those involved in online gambling come from diverse backgrounds, including members of the police and the military as well as other civil servants from different ministries and institutions. 

“(They come) from ministries, there are members of the military, the police, and others (that are engaged in online gambling). We have submitted the names to the heads of institutions,” Mr Hadi – who is also chairman of the Online Gambling Eradication Task Force – was quoted as saying by Tempo. 

Meanwhile, seven social media influencers were arrested in Banten and Lampung provinces for allegedly endorsing online gambling websites. Eighteen others were arrested following investigations into three online gambling websites: WNX Bet, W88, and Ciputra League. 

“From the suspects, we gathered evidence of 4.7 billion rupiah (US$291,000) in cash, three cars, 114 mobile phones, 96 account books, 145 ATM (cards), nine laptops, and five (digital) tokens,” Mr Hadi said, adding that the authorities had already blocked some 6,000 bank accounts related to online gambling. 

The figure is an increase from the 5,000 bank accounts that authorities said they had blocked last week. 

Mr Hadi on Tuesday stressed that his task force’s priority is the well-being of Indonesians, with concerted efforts made to dismantle online gambling networks. 

“The important thing is to save the Indonesian people first, then we will jointly cut off the bookies,” he said.

A report by the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center on Jun 22 found that the total accumulated transactions for online gambling in the first quarter of 2024 reached 600 trillion rupiah (US$36.5 billion) and involved some three million players. Among these, around 2.19 million are low-income citizens.

Meanwhile, Minister of State Apparatus Utilisation and Bureaucratic Reform Abdullah Azwar Anas told local media that comprehensive measures were needed to deal with civil servants involved in online gambling. 

“I don’t know how many (civil servants are involved in online gambling). But I think the police have done a good job at combating (the problem), though we need comprehensive measures,” he said, according to The Jakarta Globe.

The ministry’s spokesperson, Mr Mohammad Averrouce, said that they will continue to take disciplinary action against civil servants to curb the spread of online gambling. 

He said that if a civil servant is arrested and found guilty, the legal process will proceed alongside disciplinary actions. 

“So they can also be sent to jail. The legal process can run parallel with disciplinary actions,” Mr Averrouce said as reported by Detik.

Another ministry, meanwhile, has announced plans to reveal a list of state civil servants involved in online gambling, starting with those within its own ranks. 

“On Thursday, we will announce employees from the Ministry of Communication and Informatics who are also exposed,” said its Minister, Mr Budi Arie Setiadi.

According to local media, online gambling has become widespread in Indonesia and this has led to an increase in criminal behavior, including family-related violence. 

In early June, a policewoman was charged with murdering her husband, a fellow cop, by allegedly burning him to death because of his gambling addiction, in a case which has cast the spotlight on online gambling in Indonesia.