“The handling of online gambling will be more comprehensive, integrated, holistic, and consistent,” the ministry’s Director General of Public Information and Communication Usman Kansong said at the “Died Penniless due to Gambling” online discussion on Saturday.
He observed that so far, all ministries and agencies have worked independently to eradicate online gambling. Further, they are also still working as per their respective duties and functions.
According to him, Presidential Decree Number 21 of 2024 concerning the Task Force for Eradicating Online Gambling, which was issued on Friday, will be the legal basis for all relevant ministries and agencies to work in a more coordinated and integrated manner.
“I think that is a fundamental and very significant difference, which is why it is necessary to form a task force,” he explained.
On Friday, the Indonesian government issued a presidential decree on the formation of the online gambling eradication task force chaired by Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Hadi Tjahjanto.
The task force has been formed to address online gambling since it is not only illegal but can also lead to financial losses and cause social and psychological disturbances, which can lead to crime.
The working period of the task force will stretch from the time of issuance of the presidential decree until December 31, 2024.
As part of efforts to eradicate online gambling in the country, the Ministry of Communication and Informatics removed 1,918,520 items of online gambling-related content in the period from July 17, 2023, to May 22, 2024.
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