Police must take action to stop gambling: YLKI

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) is urging the police to take immediate and decisive action to stop rampant toto gelap gambling activities in the capital, which it contends are causing billions of rupiah in losses to low-income residents.

YLKI chairwoman Tini Hadad said last week that the gambling -- commonly known as togel and judi buntut -- cheated the public because the chances of winning were slim.

"There has been too much of the people's money absorbed by this kind of gambling," Tini told The Jakarta Post.

Judi buntut is arguably the most popular game among gamblers in the city and in many towns and villages across the country.

Gamblers place bets on two or four numbers which are announced every two to three days a week by their operators. Sources say the number of operators has proliferated in recent month.

The minimum bet is Rp 1,000 (15 U.S. cents). If two numbers match, the bettor wins 60 times the bet; the payout is 250 times the bet for four correct numbers.

Some gambling operators and coupon sellers claim that the selected numbers were based on numbers from gambling operators in Singapore.

City authorities have been unable to curb the spread of gambling, evident by the unchecked increase in the number of judi buntut operators despite the official ban on gambling.

They have faced no difficulties in collecting money from the gamblers, mostly poor, low-educated people hardest hit by the economic crisis.

Governor Sutiyoso argued: "It is a difficult task for us (to eradicate gambling). Frankly speaking, we face too many obstacles because the gambling operators have strong backing from 'certain people'.

"Sometimes we can eradicate gambling in one area, but then it shows up someplace else."

Tini believed the crisis pushed city dwellers to act recklessly in spending their little available cash on gambling because it offered the dream of easy money.

"That's why judi buntut has spread quickly and is widespread throughout the city," she explained.

She urged the city police to take a proactive stance in cracking down on the spread of the gambling in order to prevent poor members of the community from suffering greater losses.

Ulemas

Separately, Indonesian Council of Ulemas (MUI) chairman Ali Yafie expressed his fear that Jakartans were already "crazy" about gambling amid the prolonged crisis.

"Judi buntut brings no advantages to Jakartans but destroys their economic life," he told the Post.

Yafie said gambling lined the pockets of the operators but did nothing to improve the lives of gamblers.

"I have never found any cases in the world that gamblers have become rich from the game," he said.

Yafie said stringent government laws and the MUI's fatwa (edicts) were not enough to end the practice.

"Only the security personnel's strict actions could help end the gambling practices," he said.

Jakartans appear to have embraced gambling, particularly judi buntut, as a ray of light in the prevailing gloom of the crisis.

Coupon agents are found in every corner of the city, from traditional markets to school complexes, along narrow alleys of densely populated areas and in the parking lots of upmarket movie theaters.

There is even a an agent operating outside the morgue of Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital.

"I am sure I'll win this time," said hospital employee Marsudi as he happily showed his "Naga Singapura" coupons which cost Rp 17,000.

Selling the coupons is Ulum, a street vendor at the site. He said he often spent his meager earnings on the coupons in the hope of winning the jackpot and securing a better future.

Both confessed they have never won.

Winners receive their payments from the judi buntut operators at their headquarters in Senen Market in Central Jakarta.

Manurung, an agent operating on the first floor of the market, said the winning numbers were announced by an operator in Singapore after a draw of 10 balls numbered from 0 to 10.

Indonesian operators call Singapore to find out the results, Manurung said.

He refused to disclose the identity of his Singapore connection. (asa)