Indonesia seeks tougher SIM card checks to curb gambling
Indonesian lawmakers have raised serious concerns over the weak oversight of SIM card registration, which they believe is fuelling the spread of online gambling, fraud, and access to pornographic websites. The issue was highlighted during a Working Meeting held on Monday between the House of Representatives’ Commission I and the Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi).
Frederik Kalalembang, a member of Commission I, criticised the current system, calling for immediate action from the ministry. “Currently, the issue of SIM cards is still unclear, and it is the source of online gambling problems, fraud, and the initiation of pornographic sites,” he said.
Kalalembang urged Komdigi to pay closer attention to SIM card supervision and called for collaboration with mobile network operators. He emphasised the need to prevent further increases in online gambling users by improving control mechanisms. “I hope mobile operators will also be invited to resolve this issue,” he added.
Komdigi responds with policy clarification
Responding to the concerns, Komdigi Minister Meutya Viada Hafid said the ministry had already taken some steps. She explained that regulations now limit one family identification number to a maximum of three numbers per mobile operator.
“There is already a ministerial regulation that stipulates only three numbers per mobile operator. But it does not regulate sanctions yet,” Meutya said. She acknowledged that while the policy exists, it lacks enforcement mechanisms.
To address this gap, Meutya said the ministry plans to consult internal units to explore how sanctions could be introduced. “We will discuss with our work units to find a middle ground,” she said, suggesting the possibility of a new ministerial regulation that introduces penalties for violations.
Broader push against online gambling
The recent move by the Parliament demonstrates that Indonesia is increasing its attempts to regulate internet gaming. As part of this effort, the government is developing new regulations that will hold digital platforms, internet service providers (ISPs), and financial technology (fintech) corporations more accountable for preventing access to gambling information.
Teguh Arifiyadi, Director for Certification and Electronic Transaction Supervision at Komdigi, explained that the upcoming Government Regulation on Online Gambling Eradication will apply to all parties involved, whether directly or indirectly. “The sanction will be even heavier, and all will be regulated in the government regulation,” he said at a recent press conference.
Safeguarding children and targeting public figures
One of the main goals of the proposed regulation is to protect children from being exposed to gambling. Arifiyadi noted that many online gambling sites still do not have proper age restrictions in place.
“We can see from the data that there are tens of thousands of children and teenagers engaged in online gambling,” he said, while urging parents to monitor their children’s digital activities.
Rieke Diah Pitaloka, a member of Commission VI, also stressed the need for strict penalties against public figures and officials found to be involved in gambling. She argued that community leaders have a moral responsibility to set an example.
Regulation in the final stages
The Ministry of Law is now reviewing the final draft of the regulation. Once enacted, it will offer a stronger legal foundation to ensure that government bodies and service providers can coordinate effectively to block online gambling access and penalise those responsible.
As online gambling continues to grow in Indonesia, lawmakers and government agencies appear determined to close loopholes, starting with tightening SIM card registration and holding digital actors accountable.
