If you’re planning to visit Indonesia as a tourist, there are certain laws regarding gambling that you must know if you do not plan on ending up behind bars. Any sort of gambling activity, be it poker, casino, bingo, or even lottery is strictly prohibited in Indonesia and there can be severe repercussions for you should you choose to ignore the laws in place.
Why does Indonesia say no to more revenue?
Gambling contributes to the economy of a nation. Besides attracting wealthy tourists, it also increases employment because the casinos and the gambling hubs need staff. In the US alone, the gambling market revenue reached around 80 billion dollars in 2018.
Indonesia, the fourth most populous country of the world definitely has the ability to amass billions of dollars but it has constantly kept away from this modern source of money due to its religious bent of mind. After the Chinese left Indonesia in the 14th century, there came to be an Islam dominant Indonesia and the Islamic law categorizes gambling as a sin and a vice, hence the prohibitions.
A hub for tourists but not for gamblers
Indonesia is undoubtedly one of the most famous tourist destinations. Despite the huge number of tourists, Indonesia does not offer the freedom to gamble. This decision can be seen in the light of many perspectives. On one hand, it can be said that it is a great decision to stick to religious principles and not give in to the greed of money. On the other hand, disapproving gambling in today’s day and age has sparked protests amongst its citizens who claim that gambling isn’t a vice and is just another clean form of entertainment.
How do Indonesians still gamble?
It is the law that says gambling is prohibited but the reality of Indonesia’s gambling scenario is a little different from what the law iterates. Illegal underground casinos and slot machines have become a major getaway for the Indonesian locals and tourists from the stern laws. However, this will do more harm than good if a police officer gets to know about it, and is therefore not a safe way to gamble.
Singapore and Macau are witnessing increasing traffic from Indonesia because they allow the freedom to gamble. But not everyone can travel to another country on a daily basis to fulfill his or her gambling needs.
In order to gamble without going anywhere, the people of Indonesia have turned towards online gambling. Through the usage of a VPN, it is possible to get access to many international gambling websites. Also, there are websites like Prediksi sgp and Wymbet that act like agenta between the International game providers and the people of Indonesia.
Conclusion
Gambling is illegal in Indonesia but the rising demand of the people has led to the emergence of loopholes in the system. At present, there are many online platforms through which the Indonesians can try their luck and though these platforms are not authorized by the government, they provide a great escape to the gambling hungry crowd of Indonesia.
