MP: Do Not Let Indonesia Become a Haven for Online Gambling
JAKARTA - A member of Commission III of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Rudianto Lallo, has urged law enforcement agencies not to allow Indonesia to become a safe haven for online gambling (judol) bookmakers and syndicates.
He stressed that the state must not lose to the crime of online gambling, which has now evolved into cross-border syndicates.
“I appreciate the swift and measured work of the National Police Criminal Investigation Agency. This is not a trivial matter. Online gambling has now become a transnational crime that damages society from the bottom to the top. The state must not lose to gambling bookmakers. Do not let Indonesia become a haven for gambling bookmakers,” Rudianto told reporters on Tuesday (12/5/2026).
The NasDem Party politician assessed that online gambling is no longer just an ordinary legal violation, but a serious threat to the social and economic conditions of society.
“If anyone tries to turn Indonesia into an online gambling haven, the authorities must sweep it clean. Uncover it to the roots. Do not stop at field operators only. Chase the bookmakers, the money flows, including those operating behind the scenes,” Rudianto explained.
Rudianto also supports the National Police’s steps to strengthen cross-agency cooperation, including with international institutions, to narrow the room for movement of cross-border online gambling syndicates.
“I believe the National Police is serious. Now, the consistency of enforcement must be maintained. Do not give even the slightest room for online gambling mafias to grow in this country,” Rudianto said.
“I always say, the war against online gambling must be a collective movement and not half-hearted,” he concluded.
The arrests were made at an online gambling operational site in an office in the Hayam Wuruk Road area, West Jakarta.
“We found evidence of organised gambling activities involving foreign nationals from various countries,” said the Director of General Criminal Acts (Dirtipidum) of the National Police Criminal Investigation Agency, Brigadier General Pol. Wira Satya Triputra, during a press conference at the raid location in West Jakarta on Saturday (9/5/2026). A total of 320 foreign nationals who were secured came from various countries, namely 228 from Vietnam, 57 from China, 13 from Myanmar, 11 from Laos, five from Thailand, and three each from Malaysia and Cambodia.
According to Wira, the foreign nationals were arrested while carrying out operational activities for online gambling sites.
Those sites used specific character combinations to avoid blocking.
The police suspect the network is linked to international syndicates and is run in a structured manner.