Poker Writer
Under the radar, iGaming in Indonesia is flourishing due to Indonesian influences on Cambodian casinos, according to a report from Lauren Harrison of iGamingFuture.
Gambling is forbidden in Indonesia and considered “Haram” as the most populous Muslim country in the world. Even the tourist hot spot of Bali does not have any forms of gambling or casinos, where they would surely thrive.
But despite it being “Haram”, gambling persists within the country of over 280 million, regardless. Even though gambling is illegal in the archipelago of over 700 islands, corruption has allowed Indonesian businessmen to make hordes of money by targeting their own citizens.
Connection Through Cambodia
The vast majority of Indonesia’s illegal gambling activity stems from offshore sources. These sources are most notably from Cambodia, where legal land-based casinos are completely legal. Cambodia forbids local citizens from the 160 casinos in the nation. They mainly service foreign nationals from Vietnam, China and Thailand.
These Cambodian casinos have run into issues regarding human rights in the recent past, which has led to some wild situations regarding gamblers from nearby countries.
Online casinos have inconsistent laws in regards to iGaming in Cambodia, as the land-based casinos can offer online services but online only casinos are outlawed.
The casino sector in Cambodia is attractive to Indonesian operators because it allows online operations which are targeted toward foreign players as they technically remain outside of Indonesian jurisdiction. Powerful Indonesian businessmen have been linked to some of the largest Cambodian casinos. They are able to use these Cambodian online casinos to target the massive Indonesian gambling market.
How Deep Does the Indonesian Connection Go?
Indonesian businessmen wish to conceal their connections and activities with any Cambodian casino. They even adopt Cambodian aliases in an attempt to remain under the radar and can even obtain dual nationality.
The question remains how deeply Indonesian influence runs in Cambodian casinos. Considering that Indonesia is much larger than Cambodia in terms of population, wealth, and influence, it is possible that the entire Cambodian casino industry is propped up by Indonesian businessmen. Businessmen who make money through the casino setups. It is even possible that Indonesian politicians are pulling the strings behind the scenes.
Indonesian influence comes not only from the top but also from the common worker. There are thousands of casino employees who hail from the various islands, like the most populous island in the world, Java, and the most strictly muslim island in the country, Sumatra. These employees must be careful not to skirt the law when sending money back home from the lucrative casino business, which often offers better job opportunities than what is available in their local area.
