Gambling is largely illegal in Indonesia due to the country's strict laws based on Islamic principles, which prohibit gambling as haram, or forbidden, under Sharia law.
This ban covers all forms of gambling, including casinos, online betting, and lottery games. So here, anything that involves in the organizing, facilitating, or participating in gambling activities, can face severe penalties. These penalties include fines and prison sentences, which can be as long as ten years for significant offenses.
In many situations, wherever money is involved, people often find a way to work around the rules.
And here, the General Criminal Investigation Directorate of the Jakarta Metropolitan Police has interrogated 14 suspects arrested in connection with an alleged online gambling scandal involving officials from the Ministry of Communications.
On November 1, the police searched the Ministry of Communication and Digital’s office as part of an investigation into alleged abuses of authority related to blocking online gambling sites.
This search was confirmed by the Jakarta Metropolitan Police’s Head of Public Relations, Senior Commissioner Ade Ary Syam Indradi, who noted that the operation was led by Triputra and Deputy Director of Criminal Investigation, Adjunct Senior Commissioner Aldi Subartono.
According to the police investigation, the officials allowed 20% of around 5,000 identified gambling websites to continue to operate in exchange for money.
The method they used include cherry-picking the websites and apps to whitelist, and giving the instructions from their office.
Every website and app that wished to be whitelisted, had to pay the group of corrupted officials Rp 8.5 million ($540) for the impunity, police said.
The suspects include several expert staff members for the communication minister, police said without elaborating.
"As of today, we have arrested 14 suspects and will continue to deepen our investigation into this case," stated Triputra, in a statement from his office on Saturday.
According to him, of the 14 suspects, 11 are employees of the Ministry of Communication and Digital, while the remaining three are civilians.
He added that efforts would be made to trace the suspects’ assets believed to be linked to the crime.
Read: Following Deaths Tied To Online Gambling, Indonesia Starts Eradicating This 'Blood Sucking' Activity
During the search, four suspects were present, though the police refrained from disclosing their identities.
The operation took place across multiple floors of the ministry’s office—specifically, the second, third, and eighth floors.
The team collected several containers of evidence, including personal laptops, documents, and computers believed to be connected to the suspects’ work on website filtering and blocking.
On the same day, the newly-appointed Communication Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Meutya Hafid announced her full support for the investigation.
"I have coordinated with the police chief and regional police chief. I am fully supportive of efforts to clean up online gambling within the ministry," she stated at the Presidential Palace complex.
"The law must apply firmly to anyone involved in the scandal without exception, especially officials from our ministry," she added.
Later, Jakarta Police spokesman Ade Ary Syam Indradi added that two more individuals were arrested, bringing the total number of suspects to 16, including five private citizens.
About a week later, the authorities reported that they have seized Rp 73.7 billion ($4.7 million) in cash, 16 cars, 11 luxury watches, and various other valuable items from an online gambling syndicate, which includes 11 officials from the Communication and Digitalization Ministry.
Police spokesman Chief Commissioner Ade Ary Syam Indradi said investigators also seized two firearms, 34 cellphones, 23 laptops, 20 paintings, 16 PC monitors, 215.5 grams of gold, and a motorcycle from the suspects.
"The seized banknotes are in multiple currencies, including the Indonesian rupiah and Singaporean dollar, amounting to the equivalent of Rp 73.72 billion in total," the official said.
The Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) revealed that the ministry officials involved in the case used foreign currencies to evade detection by anti-money laundering authorities.
“It’s true that the cash payments, which combined foreign currencies and rupiah, were an attempt to launder money and obscure the trail of illicit transactions," PPATK Chairman Ivan Yustiawandana confirmed, adding that the center is actively collaborating with the police on the investigation.
"PPATK is currently analyzing the financial activities of the implicated ministry officials," he added.
"We have already identified several transactions, including asset purchases, and will soon hand over our findings to the police."
Online gambling is increasingly popular in Indonesia, and this is posing huge challenges to the country's law enforcement.
Websites and apps offering gambling services are constantly blocked, but some operators circumvent these blocks. Many of them even pay celebrities for endorsement. Authorities frequently conduct crackdowns and monitor digital platforms, but the sheer scale of online gambling makes it difficult to control completely.
The authorities have intensified their focus on officials found colluding with gambling operations.
The government’s firm stance has led to high-profile arrests, especially when officials are found to be selectively enforcing bans or accepting bribes from operators.
It's worth noting that public opinion is mixed.
While religious and older demographics tend to oppose gambling, younger, tech-savvy Indonesians are often more ambivalent, especially about online gambling. Some people look to other, legally accepted forms of risk-taking, like stock trading, as an alternative to gambling.
The government's ongoing initiatives and social campaigns underscore a commitment to enforcing its anti-gambling stance.
However, despite the ban, the allure of easy money and the accessibility of digital platforms keep gambling alive in certain circles.
Read: Indonesia In A State Of Emergency Due To Online Gambling, Said Government Official