How to Play Poker in Indonesia
Gambling in Indonesia has been a controversial issue ever since the country’s first attempt to liberalize its gambling laws back in 1997. Back then, any gambling that was conducted by non-Indonesian residents was strictly prohibited but, because of strong political support, the restrictions were relaxed. Now, however, just about anyone who wants to gamble has a chance to do so. The problem here is not with the government or local police, but rather with the Indonesian people themselves. Local officials have been slow to react to this craze because, simply put, they are more worried about protecting the interests of the Chinese community than about providing an environment where people can be entertained. Worse, many officials have even tried to introduce restrictive laws and licensing schemes that, if they’re successfully enforced, could effectively close down most of the existing online casinos in Indonesia altogether.
However, as the years have gone on, a new set of players has emerged on the Indonesia gambling scene: the majority of the local population is now internet savvy. This means that many Indonesian websites accept players from the entire world because almost all websites accept players from Indonesia, whether they come from Hong Kong, Russia, India, China, or any other country for that matter. In this respect, online gambling in Indonesia is nothing new, nor is it illegal. What’s new is the fact that these days many Indonesian websites have included poker, online slots, roulette, bingo, and other gambling games not commonly found in casinos anywhere in the world. Although most of these games require players to be at least 21 years old to obtain legal status, there are a handful that can be played by players as young as 13.
If you want to play any of these games in Indonesia, there are two ways of doing it. The first is to jump right in, using the bonus system provided by most of the online gambling websites. Although you can play for real cash, these systems have a catch: bonuses given out by the website need to be collected over a period of time, usually a month. If a player from certain countries are unable to fulfill his requirement, his account will be banned, and he will be required to start again with a fresh password and ID.