During the operation, police arrested 321 individuals systematically running gambling services on the 20th and 21st floors of the building, with all but one being foreign nationals.
The syndicate, believed to have operated undetected for two months, was found managing 75 domains and websites linked to online gambling. The operation appeared highly organized, with dedicated divisions handling telemarketing, administration, customer service, and billing.
Calling the business amateur would be a gross understatement. The group operated much like a legitimate company with a clear hierarchy, except that its “products” were illegal gambling services.
Of the suspects, 320 hailed from Vietnam, China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, or Cambodia, several of these countries have seemingly earned the moniker of Southeast Asia’s online gambling hubs.
Investigators revealed that the perpetrators entered Indonesia using tourist visas that had since expired. Initial questioning indicated that most suspects were aware they were participating in an illegal operation.
Adding further weight to the scandal, the only Indonesian suspect reportedly had prior work experience in Cambodia, a country increasingly viewed as a hub of Southeast Asia’s online gambling ecosystem. The revelation fueled suspicions that the Jakarta syndicate may represent only a small part of a much larger regional network.
Polri swiftly coordinated with the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) to trace the flow of funds and identify the mastermind, who is suspected to be either a foreign national exploiting weak oversight in Jakarta or a local figure with the financial means to orchestrate the operation.
Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung called for comprehensive measures in response to the case, saying the Hayam Wuruk incident exposed weaknesses in the capital’s security system, foreign citizen oversight, and resilience against transnational crime.
The case has left Jakarta with serious questions to address, particularly for a capital city that only last year celebrated its 498th anniversary while promoting ambitions of becoming a global cultural hub.
Extensive impacts
Leading Indonesia’s campaign against online gambling, Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid warned the public about the widening reach of the crime.
She said online gambling exposure had affected around 200,000 children across Indonesia, with 80 percent of them under the age of ten.
These children are not necessarily active gamblers; many may have merely viewed advertisements, watched adults gamble, or accidentally encountered gambling-related content on platforms they use daily. Nevertheless, such early exposure risks distorting children’s understanding of money, risk, and chance.
To raise public awareness, the government emphasized that online gambling platforms operate through manipulated systems designed to place players at a disadvantage. Authorities described them as deceptive schemes that lure users with false promises of easy profits.
That narrative is crucial to emphasize, as many gamblers are drawn in by unrealistic expectations of winning large sums with minimal effort.
Meanwhile, gambling operators continue expanding their reach beyond websites that are easily blocked, openly promoting their services on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube through spam comments, advertisements, and livestreams.
The government has acknowledged the growing threat and urged digital platforms to take more proactive measures to detect and remove gambling-related content, which often reappears faster than authorities can block it.
This challenge has prompted the government to place equal emphasis on public education and digital literacy, particularly through family-centered approaches aimed at addressing the issue at its roots.
Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf also announced that more than 11,000 families were removed from the list of social aid recipients in the first quarter of 2026 after authorities discovered misuse of aid funds for online gambling.
Although significant, the figure marked a sharp decline from last year’s 600,000 beneficiaries removed from the aid registry, reflecting improved transaction monitoring made possible through data synchronization between the Social Affairs Ministry and PPATK. Still, despite tighter oversight, a deeper issue remains: public awareness and mindset.
The findings revealed another troubling reality. Government aid programs are intended to support citizens unable to independently meet basic needs. Yet investigations found that some recipients had used assistance funds for online gambling, while others outside the aid system also managed to access funds to gamble.
The issue raises broader social questions: Why would people struggling financially voluntarily engage in gambling? How have gambling platforms become perceived as a potential escape from hardship?
Within less than a week, Indonesia witnessed the Hayam Wuruk raid while also confronting alarming data on children’s exposure to online gambling and the misuse of social aid funds. Together, these developments paint a troubling picture of how deeply online gambling has penetrated society.
The phenomenon demonstrates that the online gambling industry has grown so extensive that it now infiltrates office buildings in the capital, targets children through digital platforms, and exploits state welfare programs.
What makes the issue even more difficult is that the challenge extends beyond evidence gathering or public awareness. The government possesses data, law enforcement agencies have the capacity to act, and society increasingly recognizes the dangers of online gambling.
The core problem lies elsewhere: the online gambling industry evolves far faster than the government’s ability to respond. Its operations cross national borders and jurisdictions, making it impossible for any single institution to eradicate the problem alone.
The Hayam Wuruk case may not represent the peak of the crisis, but rather just the visible portion of a much larger iceberg — another warning sign for both the government and the public to intensify efforts to build a society more resilient against online gambling.
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Editor: M Razi Rahman
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