Indonesia’s civil servants, lawmakers in the grip of online gambling

JAKARTA – The nation’s online gambling controversy has deepened following reports that Indonesians from all walks of life have become addicted to the practice, including some civil servants and lawmakers.

Over the past few weeks, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s administration has been scrambling to discourage people from engaging in online gambling, which is thought to have already affected 4 million Indonesians with an estimated total transaction value of around Rp 600 trillion (US$36.6 billion).

Gambling of all types, both online and offline, is punishable by a prison term in Indonesia, as is organizing a gambling event.

But online gambling sites are often advertised with…