Indonesia's new online gambling law to include mitigation steps
In response to growing concerns about online gambling, the Indonesian government is working on a new regulation that will place greater responsibility on digital platforms, fintech companies, and internet service providers to help tackle the issue. The planned rules are meant to limit the spread of harmful gambling content and ensure that these services do more to safeguard users—particularly children and other vulnerable groups.
Stronger rules for platforms, ISPs, and fintech services
Teguh Arifiyadi, Director for Certification and Electronic Transaction Supervision at the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs, said the upcoming Government Regulation on Online Gambling Eradication will apply to all parties directly or indirectly involved in enabling gambling activities. This includes ISPs, digital platforms, and financial technology service providers.
Law enforcement agencies will also be involved in tackling online gambling under the new framework. “The sanction will be even heavier, and all will be regulated in the government regulation,” Arifiyadi said during a press conference.
The regulation will require ISPs to follow government guidelines on managing risks and regularly check their networks. This is intended to help limit access to online gambling content and ensure that providers act promptly when such content is identified.
Concerns over youth access to gambling content
Child protection is also a key part of the planned regulation. Arifiyadi explained that many online gambling websites do not have age verification systems, which means minors can access them without restrictions.
“We can see from the data that there are tens of thousands of children and teenagers engaged in online gambling,” he said.
He stressed the important role of parents in monitoring their children’s online activities, particularly as technical safeguards on these websites remain weak or missing.
Pressure to penalise officials involved in gambling
Also speaking at the press conference, Rieke Diah Pitaloka, a member of Commission VI of the House of Representatives (DPR), called for tougher penalties for government officials and community leaders involved in online gambling. She pointed out that public figures have a strong influence on community behaviour and should be held to higher standards.
Separately, Indonesian lawmakers have urged authorities to involve digital platforms more actively in the crackdown on gambling content. The government aims to ensure that all platforms take preventive steps to stop gambling-related material from appearing on their services.
Regulation nearing completion
The Ministry of Law is currently reviewing and finalising the draft regulation. According to the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs, once the process is complete, the regulation will provide a clear legal basis to help different agencies work together and ensure that digital service providers are held accountable for their role in enabling access to online gambling.
