Indonesian police warn public against gambling in Riau Islands
Authorities in Indonesia’s Riau Islands have launched new efforts to curb gambling at the community level, warning that both conventional and online betting pose serious risks to public order, family stability, and long-term social wellbeing.
Police personnel from Sub-Directorate III Jatanras, operating under the General Criminal Investigation Directorate of the Riau Islands Police, have been deployed directly into neighbourhoods to deliver anti-gambling messages. The initiative forms within a more extensive preventive method focused on securing public security and order, commonly referred to as kamtibmas.
Rather than depending only on arrests, officers have focused on direct engagement with residents. During outreach activities, police displayed banners reading “Stop Judi Konvensional”, while explaining that gambling is a criminal offence under Indonesian law. Officers cited Article 303 of the Indonesian Criminal Code, which clearly regulates and penalises gambling-related activities.
Not just a legal violation
Authorities stressed that gambling should not be viewed only as a legal violation. Police warned that gambling frequently leads to financial hardship, unstable household finances, and mounting personal debt. These pressures, officers said, often contribute to family disputes, social isolation, and prolonged psychological stress, touching both individuals and their wider communities.
The campaign has adopted a persuasive and humanist approach. Senior police officials in the Riau Islands said the objective is to build legal awareness and encourage voluntary compliance, rather than relying purely on fear of punishment. Residents were urged to avoid all forms of gambling and to recognise the long-term social consequences associated with betting.
While the campaign’s visual messaging focused on conventional gambling, police made clear that online gambling is still a major concern. Authorities warned that internet-based platforms may accelerate addiction, increase financial losses, and subject users to cybercrime and legal risks. Online betting, they said, has become more dangerous due to its ease of access and the speed at which funds can be lost.
The local initiative is consistent with Indonesia’s expanded national stance on gambling, which is among the strictest in Asia. All forms of gambling are prohibited under the country’s electronic transactions law, and online betting has been labelled a growing social threat by policymakers.
Crackdowns continue nationwide
National police have also intensified enforcement against organised online gambling networks. In a recent investigation, authorities seized more than Rp59 billion ($3.5 million) in assets linked to money laundering operations connected to illegal gambling websites. Cyber patrols identified 21 domestic and international gambling platforms during undercover operations.
Investigators traced illegal payment flows by making test deposits on suspected platforms, uncovering a network of fictitious companies used to conceal gambling proceeds. Police identified 17 fake entities, 15 of which were operating as QRIS payment gateways processing player deposits, while two companies were used to store accumulated funds.
Financial regulators have reinforced the crackdown. Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority has instructed banks to block and close more than 31,000 accounts linked to illegal online gambling, with the aim of disrupting access to the formal banking system. Authorities say the combined use of public involvement, financial monitoring, and cyber enforcement shows a long-term strategy to protect social stability and public order.
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