Will the Iron Fist of Indonesian Gambling Law Ever be More Selective

Gambling never really had much of a chance in Indonesia. A current case in the nation’s judicial system, however, may change the matter entirely. It’s unlikely, but fans of gambling may see a change in Indonesian gambling law in the future. 

At this point and throughout the past, gambling has been completely prohibited on account of its not being compatible with the principals of Islam. Indonesia is a country 237 million people, 97% of which are Muslim. This is the reason behind gambling never getting a chance. 

Despite the density of the Muslim population, there are still quite a few people within the nation who would like to gamble should they be in the mood. As a matter of fact, there are enough of these unlucky citizens that a solid black market has developed for local gamblers. 

If one is caught in the act of gambling in Indonesia they can be punished for a prison term of up to 10 years. Public punishment in the form of beatings is not unheard of. Suyud and Hayim Datkui were both caught playing a card game recently. Suyud had placed a bet of Rp 50,000 ($5.50) and in turn was jailed for 4 months and 10 days. 

These same two men are Chinese non-Muslim and feel that they should not be subject to the laws which are based in Islam. The logic stands in the fact that Hayim’s religion doesn’t forbid him from gambling. Therefore, why should he be subject to laws that are obviously based in a different religion. They’d like to see these laws applied only to Muslims, or completely annulled. 

In truth, plenty of people would be satisfied in the event that the laws were changed. Now the only chance that people have of getting a game in without facing arrest is through internet gambling in Indonesia.  

Online casinos in Indonesia are all based on foreign soil where internet gambling is considered legal. The Indonesian government doesn’t license online casinos being that it considers them illegal. However, it cannot punish the ones based abroad because they are outside its jurisdiction.