When Online Gambling Drags Victims into Online Loans: The Dark Circle Devastating Families

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Online gambling (judol) is no longer just an illegal activity in the digital realm but has transformed into a social problem. Last week, the Indonesian National Police (Polri) raided the headquarters of an international online gambling operation in a building in the Hayam Wuruk area, West Jakarta. Indonesia is suspected to have been chosen as an operational location following the Cambodian government’s large-scale expulsion of online gambling practices in its country through a series of crackdowns. However, behind the raid on the judol headquarters, there is a far more tangible impact in the midst of society. Many families are on the brink of destruction after family members become entangled in the money-staking games. Child and Family Psychologist, Mira Damayanti Amir, also acknowledges that online gambling has left many households in ruins. Not a few patients she handles end up seeking funding assistance through online loans (pinjol) after becoming addicted to online gambling. “It wrecks families, yes. So judol eventually leads to pinjol (online loans). Right now, I’m handling 2-3 intensive cases of judol victims like this at the same time,” said Mira when contacted by Kompas.com on Monday (11/5/2026). According to Mira, in several cases, online gambling victims do not only come from middle- to lower-income groups desperate due to economic needs. There are also those with bachelor’s degrees and stable jobs. “One significant case said that it started from this; he enjoyed games. So from school days, university, he spent quite significant time playing games. So there’s an element of gaming that’s appealing to follow,” Mira explained. Mira assesses that interest in chance-based games can actually emerge from childhood. According to her, such games are often found in the school environment. Children, for example, are exposed through “pop-up canteens” in front of school gates that provide prize games. By paying a small amount, like Rp 1,000 or Rp 2,000, they can choose a box or pull a string to get a certain prize. Such experiences, said Mira, can form a sensation of pleasure that carries into adulthood. Mira does not deny that online loans often become an instant way out for victims who are ashamed to ask for help from others, including their own families. According to her, there is ego and a sense of prestige that makes victims try to solve their financial problems alone without wanting to burden others. However, this pattern only traps them further.