Minister: Online Gambling Drives Up Divorce Rates in Indonesia

Jakarta, VIVA – Based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) this year, Indonesia's Minister of Communication and Information, Budi Arie Setiadi, explained that the divorce rate in Indonesia has increased due to the rise of online gambling.

"The increase in online gambling cases can cause various social and economic impacts, such as the rise in divorce rates driven by issues related to online gambling. In 2019, there were 1,947 divorce cases due to online gambling," he said on Thursday (Oct 3).

He added, "(The divorce rate) had decreased in 2020 (648 cases), but this number significantly increased again in 2023, rising to 1,572 divorce cases,"

Minister Setiadi also explained that the impact of online gambling has started to affect children.

According to data from the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) in 2024, 197,054 children aged 11-19 years had made online gambling deposits totaling IDR 293 billion, with a total of 2.2 million transactions.

Additionally, PPATK recorded that in the first quarter of 2024 alone, online gambling transactions had reached IDR 600 trillion, the minister remarked.

"The number of people involved in online gambling has even reached 4 million, predominantly from the 30-50 age group," Minister Setiadi said.

Therefore, he urged the public to avoid online gambling. In his view, it's better for people to use their money for trading.

"That’s why I say, don’t gamble online—it's better to sell online. This is motivation for MSMEs (micro, small, and medium enterprises). Instead of gambling online, it’s better to start selling online. Support MSMEs," he concluded