Jakarta. The government has cut off access to online gambling networks operating from Thailand and Cambodia, an official said in a recent interview.

Efforts to break the cycle of regional gambling syndicates in Indonesia began three weeks ago, said Usman Kansong, a director general with the Ministry of Communication and Informatics.

“Gambling websites from the two countries can no longer operate in Indonesia because we have shut down their access,” Usman said in an interview with IDTV.

The ministry will continue to detect and block future gambling websites and apps that try to enter Indonesia, he added.

However, the most crucial aspect of the government’s fight against gambling is to educate the public about its risks.

“Gambling websites will cease operations by themselves if nobody gets addicted to gambling or wants to place a bet anymore,” Usman said.

The government has met with tech giants such as Google, asking for their support to filter out gambling content in Indonesia. However, Usman mentioned that there is no technology that can automatically detect and block certain content.

“Social media platforms take down negative content after it goes live and triggers reports from users,” Usman said.