Indonesia Says No

Indonesia is bracing itself from a strong backlash in the coming months from the covert illegal gambling community. The industry is currently outlawed but as will any kind of prohibition, there will always be those who seek to make big money from illicit activity. The new national police commissioner, General Bambang Hendarso Danduri, has sworn to eliminate the presence of all types of gambling in the country, from slots to poker to online casinos.

Many are drawing comparisons between the situation in Indonesia right now and what is going on in Mexico as the government has vowed to crack down on organized crime. With any threats to smoke out the bandits, every time there are severe and brutal repercussions from the crime lords who seek to send out a strong message that they cannot be stopped. They resort to violent public displays like beheadings, and leaving several mutilated bodies to be found in broad daylight. When there is so much money at stake from illegal activity, the people in control in the underground market are sure to rely on old school methods of intimidation and a reign of terror is always their response to any threats from police or government agents alike.

Many people in Indonesia fear that the new commissioner is perhaps being somewhat naïve in his attempt to change things, and also fear that the repercussions for his threats will be felt throughout the community.

Indonesia of course is on the front lines of the Asian gambling debate, where many countries have officially taken a stance against gambling of all forms, and have cracked down severely when they have found any presence of slot machines or poker rings. Despite other countries’ urges to embrace the new pastimes and receive revenues from it, conservative countries in Asia and around the world (ahem, the US!) still refuse to join the 21st century and are losing out on the positive effects that slots and casino gambling can bring.