Entertainment spots sealed off

JAKARTA (JP): A gaming hall and a gambling den located on the first and third floors of the six-story Prinsen Park building in the Lokasari complex in West Jakarta were temporarily sealed off by the city public order office on Sunday, an official said.

Tongam Tambunan, a senior official at the office, said on Monday that the two spots were operating during hours prohibited by the governor's circular on business hours for entertainment spots during the month of Ramadhan.

"The places will be closed until further notice because their management disobeyed the governor's instructions in the circular," Tongam said.

Previously, the city public order office had also sealed off four gaming halls in West and North Jakarta, Surya Jaya hotel in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta and Jalan Jalan cafe, a discotheque in the Menara Imperium building, South Jakarta, for similar reasons.

According to Tongam, the gambling den at the Prinsen Park actually contained computerized "canoe" games, however, players used the games for gambling, he said.

The Prinsen Park building also houses a hotel.

Asep Kusumadipura, the hotel's operations manager, said that even though the 89-room hotel itself had nothing to do with the entertainment spots, the closings could effect the hotel's business.

"Right now, 60 percent of our rooms are occupied. We just hope the closings do not seriously effect our business," Asep said. (ylt)