Regarding Online Gambling, The Government Needs Extraordinary Policy

Kasino di Genting Highland, Malaysia. (Genting.com)

JAKARTA The government is urged to make breakthroughs or implement bolder policies to deal with online gambling which is increasingly widespread and endangers the community. One way is to imitate Malaysia, which provides Genting Highland as a localization of gambling.

"My advice is that we are firm like Malaysia. There is a gambling spot in itself. It's just a gambling spot," said a public policy observer, Trubus Rahadiansyah, Sunday, June 16, 2024.

He considered that extraordinary steps were needed because online gambling practices had claimed many victims. Although it will cause contrasts from the community, especially religious organizations, it is necessary to think more openly about dealing with these problems, including providing localization of gambling.

Moreover, gambling localization places can be drawn in taxes that are useful for government income. This would be better than the government issuing strange policies such as Tapera or PPH 21. Just make places like that, our empty islands become gambling venues, so automatically people go there who want to gamble, so gambling is localized," he added.

The government can also learn from Ali Sadikin's policy, which was able to regulate the rise of gambling problems in the era of 1966-1977. Ali Sadikin's policy of legalizing gambling actually succeeded in boosting Jakarta's development, one of which was the Semanggi area.

Trubus assessed that the current performance of the online gambling task force could be more effective if it was accompanied by extraordinary policies from the government. In addition to cracking down on gambling to its roots, the government can also provide special locations for gambling such as in Malaysia.

"The notes are in Genting, only Malaysian and foreign nationals who are non-Muslim and aged 21 years and over can access casinos there. Such rules must be strict if gambling localization is opened in Indonesia," he said.