Bareskrim Reminds Celebrities To Artists Promotion Online Gambling Can Be Convicted

Director of Cyber Crime at Bareskrim Polri Brigadier General Adi Vivid (center)/PHOTO: Rizky Adytia-VOI

JAKARTA - Director of Cyber Crime (Dittipidsiber) Bareskrim Polri Brigadier General Adi Vivid Agustiadi Bachtiar reminded artists, celebrities and influencers not to promote online gambling because it has a bad impact on the community and can be punished.

"So I firmly urge celebrity friends, influencers, artists to stop promoting this (judionline), later in the near future we will call what was mentioned earlier (the list of artists, influencers in gambling advertisements)," said Vivid, Wednesday, August 30.

Vivid said that his party had traced several online gambling websites that were promoted by one of the artists from 2020, and the website is still operating.

For this reason, his party will summon a number of artists, influencers and celebrities to be asked for clarification regarding their role in the online gambling site.

"We will call the person concerned, we will see if elements (criminal acts) or not are fulfilled against them," said Vivid.

Vivid emphasized that the promotion of online gambling must be stopped because many victims have fallen from the community. In addition, judionline not only targets the lower classes but all groups or all levels. The one-star general said that the negative impact of gambling has occurred in the community, for example there are women who sell themselves because they are entangled in gambling, and some fall poor.

Based on existing research, gambling also causes psychological illness, because the desire to play after one win continues to emerge, and the dangers of gambling are like drugs.

"I have firmly said to my fellow influencers, artists, celebrities to stop right now and promote gambling, remember that there are already many victims," said Vivid.

Vivid emphasized that his party will seriously take action against anyone who promotes online gambling, including the online gambling site which has been operating for a long time.

He also emphasized that his party would not be easily fooled if the artist or influencer argued that they were not promoting online gambling, but online games.

"Earlier I said, this is clearly different between (online games and gambling) he will play on that side as if this is an online game, but the police have other evidence," said Vivid.

The evidence was obtained from a search conducted by investigators to a website promoted by the artist, whether it is really an online game. If the reality in the online game there is an element of gambling online, then his party promotes being also subject to a crime, even though the title of the website is an online game.

"The police are not stupid, we open the website, we follow the method, play there too, whatever the game is, there is an element of gambling or not, once there is an element, they get (a convict)," said Vivid.

Vivid added that influencers, artists and smart celebrities should promote a product by avoiding online game promotions or online gambling.

"If he is smart, just avoid it, online games are risky too, it's better that there are others," said Vivid.