Jakarta. Minister of Communication and Information Technology Budi Arie Setiadi has instructed all internet service providers (ISPs) to cut off network access suspected of facilitating online gambling, particularly links to and from Cambodia and Davao, Philippines.

"We are taking decisive steps to eliminate online gambling," Budi Arie said on Sunday.

In a directive issued to ISPs, Budi Arie mandated that access termination must occur within 72 hours of the letter's issuance, dated June 21.

The duration of these access terminations will undergo evaluation and can be reinstated when conditions are deemed appropriate. NAP providers must report their disconnection actions for assessment.

The Indonesian government has intensified its campaign against online gambling with the establishment of the Task Force for Eradicating Online Gambling, led by Chief Security Minister Hadi Tjahjanto.

"Our operations will include freezing accounts, cracking down on account trading, and enforcing penalties for online gaming transactions through top-ups at convenience stores," he outlined.

From July 17, 2023, to June 13, 2024, the Communication Ministry has blocked nearly 3 million pieces of online gambling content. The ministry has also requested the closure of 555 e-wallet accounts linked to online gambling with Bank Indonesia (BI) and the blocking of 5,779 bank accounts related to online gambling with the Financial Services Authority (OJK) from September 18, 2023, to May 28, 2024.

During this period, the Ministry has addressed 16,596 instances of gambling-related material on educational websites and 18,974 on government websites.

The Ministry also said that it will impose fines of Rp 500 million (approximately $31,000) for each occurrence of gambling content found on major social media platforms, including Google, Meta, TikTok, X, and Telegram.

In March, the Foreign Affairs Ministry observed a significant rise in the number of Indonesian nationals involved in Cambodia's online gambling sector.

Data from the Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh indicated around 17,121 reported Indonesian citizens present in Cambodia. In contrast, Cambodian authorities reported a higher figure, stating that 73,724 Indonesian citizens hold residence permits in Cambodia. Indonesian Ambassador to Cambodia Santo Darmosumarto suggested that the unreported majority are engaged in Cambodia's growing online gambling industry.

"We estimate approximately 60 percent [of Indonesians in Cambodia] are employed in online gambling, with the remainder in related businesses," Santo noted.

Recent incidents linked to online gambling have resulted in various criminal cases, including domestic violence involving a police officer in East Java.

In May, a military officer in Papua tragically took his life due to debts amounting to Rp 819.3 million from online gambling.

Earlier this month in Mojokerto, East Java, a policewoman allegedly set fire to her police officer husband, resulting in his death, after discovering he had squandered his annual bonus on online gambling.

In January, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo signed amendments to the law governing electronic transactions and information. These revisions include new provisions targeting online gambling, defamation, dissemination of false information, and distribution of graphic content.

The amended Article 27 (2) explicitly prohibits online gambling, imposing severe penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment and fines of up to Rp 10 billion for operators found guilty of running gambling sites.

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