The Indonesian government could pull the plug on welfare payments to another 11,000 families nationwide, officials say.
Acep Wahyudi, the head of the Tangerang City Social Service (Dinsos), confirmed on Sunday that over 3,000 bantuan sosial recipient families are under investigation for gambling online, the Indonesian media outlet Tangselpos reported.
In Indonesia, the bantuan sosial program sees the government hand out cash and food to low-income families. The handouts are authorized by the central government and issued by local social service offices.
These offices also provide assistance with health insurance for low-income households.
Tangerang City officials said the Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs is verifying the cases to confirm their accuracy.
Acep said the Ministry of Social Affairs contacted Tangerang last month to confirm more social assistance recipients have “shown indications of online gambling.”
The Tangerang agency said it has not yet confirmed the identities of the aid recipients.
Indonesia Welfare Recipients Under Investigation
The Indonesian anti-money-laundering agency, the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center, last year began suspending and canceling welfare benefit payments not only for gamblers, but also for their entire families.
The center uses its Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD) solution to comb residents’ bank account data for evidence they may have deposited or withdrawn funds on online casino platforms.
It then checks EDD data against ID documentation to confirm its suspicions. This has seen the center halt benefit payments to more than half a million families where a single member has been found gambling.
Citizens have lodged complaints to their local welfare offices as a result. But the offices maintain that only the Ministry of Social Affairs has the power to overturn a benefits cancellation order.
Acep explained that the ministry will likely halt “regular social assistance, and several other ministry-sponsored assistance programs” for families who are “proven to be involved in online gambling.”
Government Gambling Scrutiny Continues
The government is reportedly conducting a new “in-depth review” of all social assistance recipients as Indonesia’s online gambling crackdown intensifies.
Police and government agencies expect to see a massive uptick in online and land-based gambling ahead of the FIFA World Cup.
The tournament begins on June 11.
Soccer is by far and away the most popular sport in Indonesia. CasinoBeats has seen evidence that a raft of illegal providers continues to offer online betting options to Indonesian residents.
The Indonesian National Police (Polri) has warned the public not to gamble during the World Cup. Polri officials say soccer betting ring organizers plan to hold World Cup group-viewing events where they will let attendees place cash bets on match outcomes.
Earlier this month, police in Surabaya Province arrested a 24-year-old man on suspicion of stealing two laptop computers from an orphanage.
During police questioning, the man reportedly confessed to pawning the devices to help pay for a losing soccer bet.
The man said he placed the wager with a man he had met in a coffee shop, the Indonesian media outlet Radar Surabaya reported.
If convicted, a court could sentence the suspect to a maximum of five years in jail.
All forms of gambling remain illegal in Indonesia. The government began its crackdown on online gambling in 2023.
