Indonesia’s casino proposal faces rejection from top religious body
Indonesia’s highest Islamic authority has strongly opposed a recent parliamentary suggestion to legalise gambling, warning that such a move would contradict the country’s religious values and threaten its moral fabric.
The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) stated that a member of parliament, during a hearing on 8 May 2025, proposed legal gambling as a potential way to increase non-tax state revenue, local media reports. The lawmaker cited the United Arab Emirates, where a regulated gambling resort now operates, as an example of a Muslim-majority country exploring such models.
However, MUI Deputy Chairman Anwar Abbas criticised the idea as “shocking” and “deeply misguided”, arguing that it would conflict not only with Islamic teachings but also with Indonesia’s state ideology, Pancasila.
Proposal violates Pancasila?
“This proposal not only violates Islamic teachings, but also goes against the values enshrined in our constitution and Pancasila,” Abbas stated. For the unaware, Pancasila is Indonesia’s founding philosophical framework, which emphasises belief in one God and promotes social justice and cultural harmony. MUI leaders believe that gambling, whether online or land-based, undermines these values and weakens the country’s moral foundations.
Instead of turning to gambling for revenue, MUI has urged the government to focus on sustainable alternatives such as boosting productivity, improving natural resource management, and generating employment through lawful means. The council also advised lawmakers to exercise caution when proposing reforms that could lead to long-term social damage.
“We understand the need for creative solutions to improve the economy,” Abbas said, “but those solutions must not come at the cost of our ethical foundations.”
Crackdown triggers online decline
Despite gambling being illegal in Indonesia, activity has surged, particularly online. In the first quarter of 2025, over 1.07 million Indonesians were involved in online gambling, according to the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK). The agency reported that 71 percent of users earned less than IDR 5 million per month (€290), raising concern about the growing financial vulnerability of lower-income groups.
PPATK noted a sharp decline in total deposits, down to IDR 6.2 trillion (€360 million) from IDR 15 trillion (€870 million) during the same period last year, suggesting that recent enforcement efforts may be having an impact.
Still, the illegal market remains vast. In 2024, around 8.8 million Indonesians were involved in online gambling, including 80,000 children under the age of 10. Transactions totalled $20 billion (€17.6 billion) that year alone.
Prior to this, Communications Minister Budi Arie Setiadi previously described online gambling as “sucking the people’s blood dry,” reinforcing the government’s stance. More than 3.5 million gambling-related websites were blocked in 2024, as authorities continue to combat the spread through digital literacy campaigns and stricter surveillance.
