Lost Playing Slot Gets Social Assistance? Victims Of Online Gambling Are Poor Because Of Their Choices, Not Structural

Photo Illustration: Antara

JAKARTA - Researcher in the social sector of The Indonesian Institute (TII) Dewi Rahmawati Nur Aulia assessed that the discourse of including nline gambling victims as beneficiaries of social assistance funds (bansos) managed by the Ministry of Social Affairs was an inappropriate step.

Dewi reminded that the provisions for recipients of social assistance funds have been regulated in the law, namely the poor, ranging from those with inappropriate living status to undergoing wages below the minimum wage. Meanwhile, victims of online gambling carry out this utilizing activity on their own will, and then lose property and may be in debt.

"As we all know, these perpetrators actually carry out activities, it is a personal decision," said Dewi in Jakarta, Saturday.

According to him, more than half of the people who are entangled in online gambling are groups with sufficient income, even some victims are groups with wages higher than the minimum wage.

He assessed that the condition of victims who became poor due to being entangled in online gambling was carried out consciously from the start and on personal decisions, not due to structural poverty. Therefore, Dewi emphasized that the government should further intensify literacy about the dangers of online gambling and financial management so that people understand how to invest properly and not be tempted to earn additional income by instantaneous means through online gambling.

In addition, he also assessed that the Ministry of Social Affairs still has a lot of homework in terms of data on beneficiaries of social assistance funds listed in the DTKS system so that it is better for the relevant ministries and institutions to focus on improving this matter.

Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy on Thursday, June 13 at the Presidential Palace of the Republic of Indonesia, Jakarta, emphasized that the practice of gambling, both directly and online, can impoverish the community, so that these groups are now under the responsibility of the ministry they lead.

Muhadjir admitted that he had carried out many advocacy for victims of online gambling, even including them in the Integrated Social Welfare Data (DTKS) as recipients of social assistance.

"Then those who experience psychosocial disorders, we ask the Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos) to step down to provide guidance and provide direction," said Muhadjir.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has also formed an Online Judi Eradication Task Force through Presidential Decree (Keppres) Number 21 of 2024 concerning the Online Gambling Eradication Task Force which was issued in Jakarta on June 14, 2024.

The task force was led by Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Hadi Tjahjanto accompanied by Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy as Deputy Chair of the Task Force, Minister of Communication and Information Budi Arie as Daily Chair of Prevention, and Director General of Information and Public Communication at the Ministry of Communication and Information Usman Kansong as Deputy Chair of the Prevention Daily.