The Ministry of Social Affairs Suspends PKH Assistance to 237 KPM because it is Indicated to Online Gambling

SEMENEP - The Ministry of Social Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia (Kemensos-RI) has suspended the disbursement of the Hope Family Program (PKH) assistance to 237 Family Beneficiaries (KPM) in Sumenep Regency, East Java, because it was indicated to be involved in online gambling transactions (judol).

"Currently, the special team is moving to conduct checks and clarifications directly to the field regarding this Kemensos finding," said Sumenep PKH Assistant Team Coordinator Ahmad Subairi in Sumenep, Saturday.

He explained that the data for the 237 KPM recipients of PKH assistance was detected through a system that matched the identity of the recipient with a number of digital transaction accounts or services, such as BCA, Bank Mandiri, SeaBank, OVO, and GoPay.

In the application, he continued, it can be seen that the account or account number in question is used.

"There are also findings that are detected in one family card," said Subairi.

He explained that the process of clarification to the 237 prospective recipients of this assistance was carried out in stages.

The data from the findings, he continued, will then be handed over to the village government for re-checking in the field.

"This clarification," he continued, "ensures whether there are indeed family members who use their accounts or identities for online gambling activities.

Because, according to Subairi, there is a possibility that the KTP is used or borrowed by others, so it needs to be ascertained first who made the transaction.

"What we want to make sure is the truth. Is it true that there is someone in the family who uses judol, or his KTP is borrowed by someone else, or there are family members who do it," he said.

According to the Coordinator of the PKH Assistance Team, Ahmad Subairi, the findings of the KPM suspected of being involved in the judol transaction took place in the period from July, August to September 2025.

He also reminded PKH assistance recipients not to use bank accounts or digital transaction services for online gambling activities.

"For other transactions, please use it for the right purposes. But don't use it for judol," he said.

Ahmad Subairi further appealed to all PKH beneficiaries to stay away from online gambling. In addition to potentially causing economic losses, involvement in this activity can also have an impact on the status of social assistance if, based on the results of verification, it is found that there is use for online gambling.