Some say Indonesia is facing another crisis that may rival the COVID-19 pandemic given the immense impact of online gambling addiction, which affects many teenagers and children of the very generation that this nation expects will realize the Golden Indonesia vision in 2045.

The police’s nationwide crackdown on online gambling, which included a search of the Communications and Digital Ministry’s office building and the arrests of the ministry’s employees and social media influencers, shows that the government is serious about eradicating online gambling. But critics say the response is too little too late.

The police have so far detained 16 individuals, including 12 communications ministry employees who allegedly protected, rather than blocked, about 1,000 online gambling sites. The police have also arrested Gunawan, also known as Sadbor, a TikTok content creator from Sukabumi, West Java, and his colleague Ahmad Supendi for allegedly promoting online gambling in their social media content.

Many believe these content creators are small fry who lack political backing and are therefore more prone to arrest, a fact that is difficult to deny amid corruption plaguing the country’s justice system. The police claim to have questioned several celebrities who have allegedly earned money for promoting online gambling, but none look to face justice because of their “lack of knowledge” about the practice.

The police have not questioned or acted against any sitting or former high-ranking officials at the communications ministry who have the power and resources to protect the public from online gambling, especially vulnerable groups like children and the poor.

Then communications minister Budi Arie Setiadi sparked a controversy for proposing in a hearing at the House of Representatives in September to tax online gambling organizers as a strategy to mitigate the practice, which is a crime under the Penal Code. One of the suspects the police has arrested is AK, who Budi Arie recruited to help the ministry take down online gambling sites.

Budi Arie, the Cooperative Minister and a member of the steering committee of the President Prabowo Subianto-initiated National Solidarity Movement, has expressed readiness to face the police questioning. Notwithstanding the fact that the police will need the President’s consent to grill a minister, only an indiscriminatory and transparent investigation will satisfy the public.

The Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) has repeatedly published its findings pertaining to online gambling. The anti-money laundering agency reported the accumulated money turnover connected to online gambling last year reached Rp327 trillion (US$21 billion), equal to the government’s spending on energy subsidies and compensation as of October. The transactions involved 3.29 million individuals, who PPATK spokesman Natsir Kongah said were mostly from low-income groups and included students.

Information and communication technology advancements have made it easier for people from all walks of life to access online gambling. National Police chief Gen. Listyo SIgit Prabowo said a person can place a bet with only Rp 10,000 using various online payment methods.

While it is important to crack down on online gambling, financial literacy has also helped people avoid gambling. In Japan, which has a large gambling market, a survey found that elementary school students who learn about banking and financial management understand the risks of gambling.

It is probably unrealistic to expect the new government to fully address online gambling within just three months, or even five years. But we do not believe that taking quick, random steps just to gain popularity will work.