The Indonesian government is setting up a multi-ministry and multi-agency task force to address online gambling. Interpol would also be asked to help with cross-border cases.
A Thursday statement on the matter from the country’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology – also known as Kominfo – noted that in October last year its officials had found that computer servers based respectively in the Philippines and Cambodia had been offering gambling targeting Indonesians.
Data from Indonesia’s Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK) indicated that last year circa 3.2 million citizens of the Muslim-majority nation of circa 270 million people, gambled online. Of those that did, 80 percent were betting under IDR100,000 (US$6.16 currently), said Thursday’s report, though it did not clarify if that amount was per session or per year.
The information was carried in an article by Bernama – Malaysian National News Agency.
The story, citing the Indonesian communication ministry’s statement, added that up to now, Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority (OJK) had faced difficulties in trying to bar access to relevant overseas transaction accounts.
The communications ministry had also struggled to block access to servers deemed problematic that were based in foreign jurisdictions.
The task force would be under Indonesia’s Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs.
As well as the communications ministry and the financial authority, it would include input from the financial reporting centre and the country’s police.
Usman Kansong, the communications ministry’s information and public communication director, was cited as saying: “Kominfo will oversee the digital space, OJK will manage accounts, PPATK will handle fund flows, and the police will carry out arrest and investigation duties.”
In a separate statement, Hadi Tjahjanto, Coordinating Minister of Politics, Law and Security Affairs, expressed growing concern over online gambling, particularly incidences said to involve schoolchildren.
