House Member Urges Firm Action Against Gambling Dens Masquerading as 'Timezone' Arcades

Jakarta - Member of Commission III of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Nasyirul Falah Amru, has urged law enforcement officers to take firm action against organisers and bookies operating gambling activities disguised as children’s play arenas under the ‘Timezone’ brand in the North Jakarta and West Jakarta areas. According to him, if gambling practices disguised as entertainment games are proven, the police must act impartially and apply the prevailing legal provisions to the fullest extent. ‘Places that should serve as family recreation facilities must not be exploited as a front for gambling practices,’ said the man familiarly known as Gus Falah in a statement received in Jakarta on Tuesday. He stressed that Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code, which came into effect this year, provides a strong legal foundation for the state to take action against gambling organisers. Article 426 of the Criminal Code stipulates that any person who, without a licence, offers or provides the public with the opportunity to gamble or participates in a gambling enterprise may be punished with a maximum prison sentence of nine years or a fine of up to Rp2 billion. Gus Falah assessed that this criminal threat demonstrates the state’s seriousness in eradicating gambling practices that harm society and potentially damage the younger generation. Therefore, he said, law enforcement officers must not hesitate to thoroughly investigate various parties who profit from covert gambling activities. According to him, the main focus in eliminating gambling must be directed at the organisers, bookies, and parties who gain profit from these gambling practices. ‘They must be held criminally accountable to the maximum extent to create a deterrent effect,’ he stated. As a member of the House commission overseeing legal affairs, he also requested the police to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the suspected gambling network operating under the guise of children’s play arenas. This includes tracing the flow of funds, the management parties, and the possibility of other parties also enjoying profits from these illegal activities. He emphasised that the state has an obligation to protect children and families from exposure to covertly packaged gambling practices. Thus, he continued, the public must not be deceived by the label of family entertainment when inside there are practices containing elements of gambling. ‘Firm law enforcement will send a message that the state provides no room for any form of gambling, whatever the modus operandi,’ Gus Falah declared. Previously, the General Criminal Investigation Directorate of the Metro Jaya Regional Police raided two gambling locations camouflaged as children’s play arenas in the West Jakarta and North Jakarta areas. Head of the Metro Jaya Police’s Jatanras Sub-directorate, AKBP Abdul Rahman, in a statement in Jakarta on Saturday, explained that the operation, conducted on Wednesday night at around 9.45 p.m. Western Indonesian Time, successfully secured more than 60 people suspected of involvement in the illegal activities. ‘We have raided criminal gambling activities at two separate locations and secured more than 60 people,’ he said. Abdul explained that the first location was in Penjaringan, namely Dissney Timezone, located at Jalan Jembatan 3 Raya No. 5F - 5G, RT 23/RW 08, Penjaringan, Penjaringan District, North Jakarta, where 76 gambling machines were confiscated. The second gambling location was Sky Timezone, located at Jalan Taman Surya Boulevard No. 14 Blok D2, Penjaringan, Kalideres District, West Jakarta, where 58 gambling machines were secured from the premises.