Gambling in Indonesia
Located on the Indian Ocean and home to a large population, Indonesia is an exotic country that boasts healthy economic ties with both Asian and Western countries. However, it is also one of the more unusual nations in that it is governed by strict Islamic law, which has led to the nation banning gambling altogether. This has resulted in a huge underground arcade and sports betting culture that flourishes all across the country, even though it is strictly illegal.
In order to combat this, the government has vowed to step up efforts to re-assess registered online platforms and ban those that feature gambling activity if found. According to a spokesperson for the Ministry of Communication and Information, they are currently working to block access to over 800,000 forms of gambling content.
This is largely due to the fact that the majority of the country’s inhabitants are 85% Muslim, and as such adhere to the strict rules that come with it. Gambling is a serious sin for many of them, as it violates their religious beliefs and can lead to problems such as poor work performance, strained relationships at home and even domestic violence. It is for this reason that those caught engaging in gambling activities in the country can be severely punished, even to the point of being publicly caned in certain provinces such as Aceh. This is a clear sign of just how serious this issue is in the country and what lengths the government are willing to go to tackle it.