Prevent Gambling Under the guise of Children's Games, the DPR encourages Evaluation of All Arcade Arena Permits

Member of Commission III of the DPR, Sarifuddin Sudding, emphasized the importance of strict supervision of every arcade arena or electronic-based children's play area. This follows the discovery of a gambling center disguised as a children's play arena or Timezone in North Jakarta and West Jakarta.

"Of course, every perpetrator of a crime must receive a firm punishment, including the manager of a gambling place that is disguised as a child's game," said Sarifuddin Sudding, Wednesday, June 17.

Sudding also asked the police not only to arrest the employees of the gambling place and the gambling perpetrators. "Arrest the city and the parties behind the gambling arena disguised as children's games," he said.

According to Sudding, the raid on two gambling locations disguised as arcade game centers in West Jakarta and North Jakarta by the Polda Metro Jaya was not just an uncovering of ordinary gambling crimes. "This case shows how gambling practices continue to adapt by utilizing spaces that have long been considered by the public as places for family and children's entertainment," he said.

Sudding assessed that this case should be an alarm that modern gambling is no longer present in the form of dark casinos or conventional stalls. "Gambling today can disguise itself as an entertainment center, utilizing digital gaming technology, and operating in the middle of settlements without raising any meaningful suspicions," said Sudding.

Sudding emphasized the importance of the State's role in strengthening supervision of increasingly sophisticated gambling practices. According to him, the Government through the authorized agency must conduct a thorough evaluation of the licensing of electronic game centers and arcade arenas throughout Indonesia.

"Don't let entertainment business permits be used as a cover for gambling activities," said Sudding.

On the other hand, Sudding appreciated the Metro Jaya Police who managed to uncover the practice of gambling in the form of children's games. He asked the police to dismantle

this case until it is completed.

"We hope that the handling of the case does not stop at just arresting the perpetrators in the field. The intellectual actors must be held accountable in the eyes of the law. And make sure that supervision in every arena of children's games is also carried out throughout Indonesia. We cannot allow gambling to creep into the middle of society through faces that are considered safe," concluded Sudding.

As previously reported, the Polda Metro Jaya dismantled a gambling den disguised as a children's game arena or Timezone in the North Jakarta (Jakut) and West Jakarta (Jakbar) areas. A total of 69 gambling perpetrators were arrested in the raids carried out by the police.

The perpetrators used a children's game arena machine to practice gambling in the form of a Timezone game, which contained Mickey Mouse games, roulette, a spinning dragon, a wind ball, a shooting bird/fish/dragon, and a slot.

From the location named 'Timezone', the police seized more than 130 gaming machines and secured 69 people consisting of managers, employees, and players. The mode used is relatively simple but effective, namely the player makes a deposit, gets a voucher, exchanges it for game coins, then the game results can be converted back into cash or gold.