Jakarta (VNA) – Gambling promoters are using deceptive marketing tactics to reach Indonesian users across Meta platforms, despite the company's policies and a government crackdown on the illegal practice.
The posts on Facebook, Instagram and Threads appear to promote video games or treatments for conditions such as diabetes. But they redirect users to betting websites.
Indonesian authorities say they have taken down more than 5.7 million pieces of gambling-related online content over the past eight years.
Police have also stepped up enforcement, with at least 85 influencers arrested last year for promoting online betting.
Penalties are steep, including potential prison terms of up to 10 years, while gambling itself is punishable by up to four years in jail.
The Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs of Indonesia said it regularly asks social media platforms to remove gambling-related content, and issues warning letters if those requests go unanswered.
Continued inaction will result in a third warning letter sent to the platform, which carries additional penalties and may lead to access termination, said Alexander Sabar, director general for digital space supervision.
The value of online gambling transactions in Indonesia reached 927 trillion IDR (55.7 billion USD) between 2017 and the first quarter of 2025, according to the Indonesian Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre./.
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