The Indonesian Ministry of Communication and Information is cracking down on the rising rates of illegal gambling activities by collaborating with telecommunications providers to prevent access to gambling content. Both online and in-person gambling are punishable by up to four years in prison under Article 303 of the country’s criminal code.
Popularity in online gambling in this jurisdiction – particularly the ever-increasing demand for operators offering no deposit bonus codes – shows no signs of slowing down. While there are loopholes in this otherwise illegal activity, recent findings have led the police to intervene. The cyber directorate is currently working to identify influencers, consumers, and affiliates who are actively promoting gambling content on their social media accounts, despite its illegal nature.
Adi Vivid Agustiadi Bachtiar, the National Police’s Director for Cyber Crime Brigadier General, revealed that some have already been processed by the law, with several regions reporting discoveries. Not only do the guilty parties stand to receive a jail sentence, but they can also be fined Rp1 billion, ($65,530).
On-going Problem
Between 2018 and 2023, over 800,000 pieces of gambling content were blocked by the Ministry of Communication and Information, with many suspected of originating overseas. Now more than ever, the government is committed to mitigating the growing gambling epidemic by terminating all offshore gambling content within 24 hours of being discovered. This includes social media posts and websites. To date, the government has blocked over 5,000 gambling sites, including most recently Higgs Domino Island, which has reportedly been downloaded over 50 million times. Data also indicate that the site was generating around Rp 2.2 trillion ($150 million).
Any websites or social media platforms that do not cooperate with the ministry and fail to delete the gambling-related content face sanctions in accordance with the country’s laws and regulations. The ministry is also working with the National Cyber and Crypto Agency (BSSN) as well as the Indonesian Domain Name Registry (PANDI) to help prevent any gambling-related content from appearing on government sites. This news comes after gambling content infiltrated around 5,000 government sites. The department also received a total of 1,914 complaints through its cekrekening.id platform regarding bank account abuse linked to illegal gambling activity.
Moreover, earlier this week, the national police announced plans to question actress Wulan Guritno over a video posted to her social media account allegedly promoting online gambling in 2020. Guritno is not alone in this, as the National Police also revealed that they have collected a number of names of artists, celebrities, as well as public figures who are suspected of promoting the illegal activity.
Influencers Under Fire
Indonesia is not the only country taking action against influencers. Several countries across the European Union are cracking down on content creators who promote cryptocurrency, financial products, and gambling. The EESC, an advisory group that assists the European Council, recommended that specific guidelines should be made for influencers as well as social media platforms to clearly label when a post is an advert.
Over the last 10 years or so, the advertising industry has undergone a massive shift, with more and more marketing teams using their budgets on influencers rather than more traditional avenues. As a result, the field has experienced unprecedented growth, with influencers rapidly gaining consumer trust and appeal due to their seemingly authentic content. However, one of the biggest issues facing the industry is that influencers are failing to disclose when a post is paid for, leaving users unable to distinguish between an organic post and a sponsored one.
YouTube and Twitch streamers will also be held liable for any published content they host, especially if minors and other vulnerable groups are exposed. Platforms have a responsibility to their users to proactively remove any illegal publications as well as report any illegal activity to the appropriate authorities.
Next Steps
As rates of illegal gambling continue to rise in Indonesia, it is becoming evident that blocking these sites is not as effective as the ministry once thought. This is because once one site is blocked, another one pops up again under a new name and domain, repeating the cycle all over again.
Some critics suggest that regulating online gambling will be more beneficial overall, as the revenue generated from gambling taxes can be used for the national budget, and players won’t have to seek out sketchy platforms just to get their fix. Regulating gambling will also help to prevent gambling-related harms and protect vulnerable individuals, such as children.
Author’s Bio:
As the Marketing Director and Senior Editor of a leading affiliate site, Mason Jones understands the necessity of being au courant with all the goings-on of the online gambling industry. This means keeping his eyes peeled for the latest trends and choosing suitable marketing strategies that not only work for the site he manages, but ones that also work for third-party sites with which he liaises.
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