Social media firms must foot the bill for Indonesian citizens’ gambling addiction treatment, say lawmakers.
The calls come from the policy-forming People’s Representative Council, the Indonesian media outlet Inibalikpapan reported, in the wake of several gruesome, high-profile gambling-related crimes.
Unspeakable tragedies are taking place because of online gambling addiction, the lawmakers said. They urged social media platforms to show accountability by funding rehabilitation centers.
Council member Abdullah, also known as Gus Abduh, a member of the commission and the representative for Central Java’s sixth electoral district, said social media platforms were “profiting from [gambling-related] web traffic.”
“[Social media operators] must not be allowed to benefit from traffic, either directly or indirectly,” Abduh said. “They must contribute to the funding of rehabilitation centers for […] addicts.”
Social Media Firms: Gambling Addiction Accountability Needed
In recent weeks, Indonesian newspaper headlines have been dominated by online gambling-related crime.
Police in Makassar say a man attacked his wife and cousin with a machete when they tried to stop him from gambling online.
In Lahat, police charged a suspect with murdering their mother after she caught them stealing gold to gamble online.
The head of a local government body in Medan Maimun, meanwhile, has been accused of embezzling up to IDR 1.2 billion ($70,000) of public money to fund their gambling habits.
Abduh said the problem was no longer just “legal,” but now constitutes “a national social and economic crisis.”
The lawmaker urged the government to take its cue from countries like the United States and the United Kingdom.
Both the US and UK have “integrated a rehabilitative approach,” he said. Rather than “simply blocking online casino sites,” Jakarta would benefit from following a similar game plan, the lawmaker explained.
“We need regulations that require social media operations to help create a national rehabilitation system for online gambling addicts,” he said.
Social media influencers continue to promote online casinos on their website, in spite of a police probe that has seen many young female Instagram stars jailed.
Limited Resources Available
The “massive amount of funds circulating” in the online casino space is not commensurate with the number of rehabilitation facilities available, Abduh said.
He said the state currently provides only “limited rehabilitation services” for online gambling addicts.
“The state must intervene,” the lawmaker concluded. “Online gambling addiction is a behavioral disorder that robs people of self-control. If they are not rehabilitated, we will see more criminals emerge.”
Per data from the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center, Indonesians deposit up to $58.39 million on online gambling sites every year.
That is despite a sweeping crackdown that has seen the center block tens of thousands of citizens’ bank accounts.
All of the accounts belong to people who have placed bets on online casino sites, the center says. The center is Indonesia’s top anti-money laundering agency.
Civil law courts from around the country also say online gambling addiction is becoming a leading cause of divorce.
Many of the country’s top psychiatric hospitals have warned of a sharp spike in inpatients and outpatients with gambling addiction.
