DIGIVESTASI -  Clarification by Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy Regarding Social Assistance for Online Gambling Victims. Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy has clarified the public's understanding of his statement regarding 'online gambling victims as recipients of social assistance (bansos)'. He emphasized that the intended beneficiaries are the affected families of the gamblers, not the online gamblers themselves.

"I have observed from public opinion that some people mistakenly believe that online gambling victims are the gamblers, including the players and the operators. When I stated that online gambling victims could receive social assistance, they assumed that the gamblers would be the ones receiving the assistance. This is a misunderstanding," Muhadjir Effendy explained after the Eid al-Adha prayer at the PP Muhammadiyah Da'wah Center in Menteng, Central Jakarta, Monday (June 17, 2024).

Muhadjir referred to Article 303 of the Criminal Code (KUHP) and Article 27 of Law Number 11 of 2008 on Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE), which state that online gamblers are law violators. He stressed that the recipients of social assistance would be the families of the gamblers who suffer financial and psychological losses due to their actions.

"Gamblers, whether players or operators, are law violators and must be dealt with accordingly. The main task of the Cyber and Online Gambling Eradication Task Force is to take action against them. I received an explanation from the Minister of Communication and Information Technology that I will be the Deputy Director of the Task Force, with the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs as the Chief Director," Muhadjir added.

"So, I reiterate that the victims of online gambling are not the gamblers themselves but the families or close individuals of the gamblers who suffer material, financial, or psychological losses. These are the people we will assist," he continued.

Muhadjir asserted that the state is responsible for caring for the poor and neglected children. Families of gamblers who fall into poverty and lose their possessions due to gambling will receive social assistance.

"If they lose their possessions, sources of livelihood, or suffer psychological trauma, and become impoverished, they will receive social assistance. According to Article 34, Paragraph 1 of the Constitution, the poor and neglected children are cared for by the state. Therefore, all poor people, including victims of online gambling, are the state's responsibility," he explained.

However, Muhadjir added that the families of gamblers do not automatically receive social assistance. They must go through verification according to the criteria for social assistance recipients from the Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos).

"The process will involve checking the standards and criteria set by Kemensos. If it is confirmed that they have fallen into poverty due to online gambling, they will receive social assistance. So, don't imagine that gamblers are directly given social assistance; it's not like that," he emphasized.

Muhadjir reiterated that the victims of online gambling are not the gamblers but the families who suffer the financial, material, and psychological impacts of the crime.

"Please understand this clearly. Once again, the victims of online gambling are not the gamblers but the families who suffer financial, material, or psychological losses. If they fall into poverty, they will be the ones receiving social assistance," he concluded.

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