Online gambling has affected 960,000 high school and college students in Indonesia based on data from the Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology.
Approximately 960,000 high school and college students in Indonesia are involved in online gambling activities, a government official said.
"The number of students who are involved in online gambling reaches 960 thousand to date," Indonesian Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology Satryo Soemantri Brodjonegoro disclosed this during a press conference held on November 21, 2024, as reported by ANTARA News Agency.
The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology is undertaking measures to address the pervasive issue of online gambling among university students.
As part of this endeavor, a dedicated online reporting channel is being established. This channel will be mandatory for all public and private universities, providing a platform for students to report instances of online gambling and seek support.
"The ministry instructs every leader of public and private universities to prevent the participation of lecturers, students, and educators in online gambling," Brodjonegoro shared.
Online gambling is currently illegal in Indonesia, and authorities are working to block bank accounts of authorities who are linked to online gambling, while mounting information campaigns to crack down against illegal betting.
Government data also noted that some 380,000 online gambling sites in Indonesia have been shut down since October.
“If we count from October 20, or the start of the new government,” the number of sites closed “has reached around 380,000," Meutya Hafid, communication and digital affairs minister said as quoted by Indonesian news site Bernama.
So far, Indonesia's central bank has said it will also freeze bank accounts affiliated with online gambling.
"Payment service providers, both banks and non-bank must have fraud detection systems to identify accounts used for online gambling transactions and other forms of fraud," central bank governor Juda Agung shared at a press conference, as reported by Bernala last November 21.
These accounts will be frozen. So far, some 7,500 bank accounts linked to onine gambling have been frozen. The central bank is also committing to information drives discouraging the public from gambling.
Malaysia's The Star also reported that around 104,819 sites related to online gambling were shut down since they formed a task force on online gambling eradication.
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