Alleged Online Gambling Quota

When the government declared war on online gambling, the public believed a clean-up had arrived. The then-Minister of Communication and Information Technology, Budi Arie Setiadi, even claimed to have blocked access to 3.4 million pieces of online gambling content.

However, behind that figure, a surprising irony emerged. Ten employees of the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology—now the Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi)—were themselves caught up in the case. The minister himself had now moved to a new position as Minister of Cooperatives under the Prabowo Subianto administration.

Finally, on May 14, 2025, the South Jakarta District Court unveiled a shocking indictment. In documents read by prosecutors, Budi Arie was accused of receiving a 50 percent share of the security funds for online gambling sites. The funds allegedly came from gambling operators who paid to prevent their sites from being blocked by the ministry.

In response to the accusations, Budi Arie Setiadi strongly denied it. In the Gaspol! podcast, Kompas reported, "The perpetrators have been doing this long before I became Minister of Communication and Informatics. The indictment shows that the practice has been going on for a long time."

He also admitted that since he took office, he had received warnings about problematic individuals within the Ministry of Communication and Informatics.

However, this case reveals the dark side of the "war" against online gambling. An operation that appears firm on the surface, but is shrouded in black market, bargaining, and systemic negligence. This isn't just about individuals. It's about a corrupt and marketable system.

Imagine if it were true that every online gambling site survived not because it escaped the algorithm, but because it was able to deposit "security deposits" into the ministry's internal network. This means that the more active sites, the greater the money turnover. This "war" actually creates fertile ground for parties within the system to take advantage.

Data from the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) reinforces these concerns, as online gambling transactions increase year after year. As reported in various media outlets, in 2023, online gambling transactions were recorded at IDR 327 trillion. In 2024, this figure jumped to IDR 981 trillion. And, in 2025, it is estimated to reach IDR 1,200 trillion. A truly staggering figure.

Meanwhile, Komdigi claims to have blocked 5.7 million pieces of gambling content by January 2025. However, the facts on the ground show that gambling sites continue to emerge. It's as if the state's blocking mechanism is powerless.

The question is, how could efforts to eradicate digital crime turn into opportunities for corruption? How could AI-based technology and digital surveillance be transformed into political and economic weapons?

What's happening isn't just neglect, but rather the lubrication or smoothing of the system. That's where the real danger lies. When technology, which should be neutral, is instead controlled by those in power—not based on law, but based on the highest payout.

This article doesn't intend to conclude who is guilty or innocent. That's the court's jurisdiction. But the public has a right to know that our digital crime eradication system is ailing. When there are allegations of eradication being turned into a commodity, the narrative of goodness becomes a business. Law becomes a transaction. Morality is replaced by margin.

This is a structural failure. It's no longer time to simply pursue individual perpetrators. The government must open an audit of the technology used by Komdigi, including transparency of its contracts and internal teams. More than that, real political accountability is needed.

Online gambling is indeed dangerous. There have been many victims. But it's even more dangerous when certain state officials use it as a fertile ground for trading authority.