JP/5/TOGEL
Gambling dealers face tough times
Oyos Saroso H.N. The Jakarta Post/Bandarlampung
Agus, 22 (not a real name), has been in a rather somber mood for the past three days, especially upon reading the newspaper about the major crackdown on gambling being carried out by police.
Agus was even more dejected after learning that togel (illegal lottery) dealers have ceased operations.
Agus is not a togel dealer, but he usually places bets on it every week, even if it's just a few thousand rupiah.
Besides being hooked on the game, he also sells togel coupons to bettors and is paid Rp 50,000 per week by a dealer.
If a bettor scores the exact digits, Agus usually gets tips from the winner who placed the bet through him.
"How will we fill our free time if there's no more togel? It's just a pastime, and rewarding too. I can earn Rp 200,000 a month thanks to togel," said Agus on Thursday.
He said that togel is a pastime for ordinary people like him. With only Rp 500, said Agus, a bettor can win Rp 30,000 if the two digits that he or she places come out.
"If the exact three digits come out, a bettor can get Rp 350,000 just by placing a Rp 500 bet. If bettor places a four- digit bet for Rp 1,000, he or she can get a prize of Rp 2.5 million," said the young junior high school graduate.
Agus acknowledged that he had been selling togel coupons for four years. Even though the pay is small, it adds to his earnings as a construction laborer.
When not working at a construction site, he can be found at the Jl. P. Diponegoro-Jl. Cut Meutia intersection in Bandarlampung soliciting passengers for public transportation drivers.
By selling togel, Agus can help to support his younger sister's education who is now studying at a vocational school.
According to Agus, since the news on the gambling crackdown spread, togel bosses have ordered their agents to cease operations.
"My boss has shut his business now. There are still some operators selling coupons discreetly, but I've stopped selling them because I'm afraid of being caught by the police," said Agus, refusing to mention the name and address of his boss.
Agus said that besides small-time dealers, there was a big- time operator who controlled all togel operations in Bandarlampung. Data at the Lampung police headquarters indicated that Lampung was ranked third in terms of togel turnover after North Sumatra and Riau.
Turnover in the illegal lottery in the province reaches Rp 1 billion daily. Togel appears five days a week; Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Togel results, usually spread by word of mouth, are announced at 5 p.m., while on Sunday, results are announced at 7 p.m.
A togel addict said that rampant togel activities in Lampung occurred because operators were unafraid of playing two digit games, whereas in Medan and Riau, two digit games are only played among selected groups.
Lampung Police Chief Brig. Gen. Rasyid Ridho said that raids should have started from Wednesday. The order to stop gambling activities, including togel, came earlier directly from Gen. Sutanto who had pledged to combat gambling.
According to Rasyid, Lampung police had been active in cracking down on gambling even before Sutanto was appointed police chief and many gambling cases have been handled in Lampung.
He said that raids are usually aimed at togel, baccarat, jackpot and cock fights.
Rasyid said that besides conducting raids throughout the province, Lampung police would also send telegrams instructing all detective units at every police station in the regencies and mayoralties to combat gambling.
"All togel operations in South Lampung and Tanggamus have stopped following raids a few days ago," he said.
Lampung detectives chief Sr. Comr. Bahtiar Tambunan said that 91 cases of gambling had been investigated between January and July 14, and that 160 people had been named suspects.
The stern measures are needed because togel has spread throughout the Bandarlampung community, from housewives, parking attendants, pedicab drivers, public transportation drivers and scalpers, to civil servants.