Jakarta, Indonesia – A surge of deceptive online advertisements targeting Indonesian users through Meta platforms has been reported. These ads, circumventing platform regulations, lead to fraudulent websites promoting online gambling, a practice strictly prohibited in the country.
An investigation has uncovered numerous illicit advertisements circulating between September and November, exploiting a market where gambling generates billions of dollars annually. While the accompanying text of these ads appears harmless, they redirect users to gambling sites promising immediate winnings to new members.
Users report encountering similar advertisements on Instagram, raising concerns that these ads, suspected to target video game enthusiasts, are also accessible to children. A study by the Indonesian research institute, Populix, indicates that a staggering 98% of social media users in Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, are exposed to content promoting gambling, a practice forbidden in Islam. The study further reveals that 32% of those exposed have experimented with online gambling after seeing such ads, while 4% admit to continuing the practice.
The Indonesian government maintains that it has removed over 5.7 million pieces of gambling-related content in the past eight years. Law enforcement has also intensified its efforts, arresting at least 85 influencers last year for promoting online gambling. In Indonesia, those found guilty of promoting gambling face imprisonment of up to 10 years, while online gamblers can be sentenced to up to four years.
The Ministry of Communication and Informatics stated that it regularly requests platforms to remove gambling-related content, followed by formal warnings. The government continues to grapple with the pervasive nature of these deceptive ads and is actively seeking ways to strengthen enforcement and protect its citizens from the harms of online gambling. DZWatch will continue to monitor this developing situation.
