Government Policy on the Phenomenon of Online Gambling in Indonesia: An Integrative Analysis of Law, Technology, and Siyasah Syar'iyyah

Abstract

The phenomenon of online gambling has grown rapidly as a form of digital crime that is adaptive to the weaknesses of the state's surveillance system. This study aims to analyze online gambling practices in Makassar City, Indonesia, with a focus on operational patterns, the effectiveness of government legal policies, and normative legitimacy from the perspective of siyasah syar'iyyah. The research approach is qualitative and descriptive, combining empirical juridical and normative analysis of Sharia. Primary data were obtained through field observation and in-depth interviews. Secondary data are sourced from laws and regulations, and scientific articles related to the research theme. The results of the study show that online gambling practices in Makassar City are dominated by slot games, poker, and lotteries accessed through social media, messaging applications, and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). Transaction patterns utilize e-wallets and anonymous accounts, making it difficult to track the law. The government has carried out site blocking, site raids, and digital socialization, but its effectiveness is limited due to the limitations of digital forensics and weak cross-agency coordination. Religious institutions began to play a role in moral campaigns, but they were still sporadic. These structural barriers are even more contrasting when compared to the multi-level strategy of East Asian countries that combine artificial intelligence (AI) technology, cross-border financial cooperation, and national digital literacy. The implications of this study emphasize the need to shift the paradigm of online gambling prevention from a repressive approach to an integrative adaptive model that combines law, technology, institutions, and religious values. Strategic recommendations include strengthening AI-based domain monitoring, increasing digital forensic capacity, integrating policies across sectors, and optimizing the role of communities and religious institutions in prevention. This research contributes to the development of a national policy framework in the face of the increasingly complex challenges of online gambling.