The online gambling crisis in Indonesia is worsening, with the country’s Minister of Cooperatives, Budi Arie Setiadi, allegedly linked to a criminal syndicate involving government officials and large-scale money laundering operations. This was conveyed by Dr. Vishnu Juwono, a public policy expert and lecturer at the Faculty of Administrative Sciences, Universitas Indonesia (FIA UI), during the CAKEPP program on the TVOneNews YouTube channel.

In his discussion, Dr. Vishnu revealed that around 1.5 million teenagers aged 11 to 17 are struggling with online gambling addiction, as reflected in a total transaction volume of 143 billion rupiah. The online gambling sector has evolved into a trillion-rupiah industry, primarily targeting young people with the lure of instant wealth, amplified through social media advertising and influencer promotions.

Dr. Vishnu explained that the prevalence of online gambling in Indonesia is driven by systemic weaknesses, including inadequate digital oversight, easy access to illegal gambling platforms, and corruption within the digital bureaucracy, all of which have exacerbated the crisis.

“As a public policy observer, I recommend several measures, the first of which is to establish secure and integrity-driven digital governance,” said Dr. Vishnu.

He further emphasized that the country cannot rely solely on the creation of task forces or temporary political statements. Instead, a structured, cross-sectoral, and sustainable policy strategy is essential.

“Concrete policy recommendations include a thorough reform of the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (Kominfo), strengthened cyber law enforcement supported by increased budgets and investigative authority for comprehensive actions,” he continued.

Dr. Vishnu also recommended international cooperation with Interpol and ASEAN digital authorities. In addition, integrating mandatory digital literacy education into both formal and informal learning systems, imposing penalties for illegal promotions including license revocations and commercial account blocks for influencers and content creators, and implementing digital taxes along with social assistance programs funded by the digital economy’s profits.