Socio-Legal Dynamics of Online Gambling among Middle-Aged Adults: Economic Drivers and Preventive–Repressive Responses in Aceh, Indonesia
Keywords:
Online gambling; middle-aged adults; socio-legal approach; law enforcement; social control; Aceh.Abstract
The rapid expansion of digital technology has reconfigured gambling from a place-based practice into an online activity that is accessible, anonymous, and difficult to regulate, producing distinctive socio-legal problems in Aceh, Indonesia, where Islamic law is formally enforced. This study analyses the involvement of middle-aged adults (40–60 years) in online gambling in Kemukiman Saree, Lembah Seulawah District, Aceh Besar, and examines the preventive and repressive responses that have emerged at the community level. A qualitative case study was combined with a socio-legal perspective. Primary data were gathered through semi-structured in-depth interviews with village officials, community leaders, religious leaders, and middle-aged residents selected purposively; secondary data were drawn from scholarly literature, the Indonesian Criminal Code, the Electronic Information and Transactions Law, and Qanun Aceh No. 6 of 2014 on Jinayat Law. The data were analysed descriptively through data reduction, data display, and verification, with source and method triangulation. The findings show that participation is driven by four mutually reinforcing conditions: economic vulnerability, the low cost of digital access, social influence within neighbourhood networks, and the need for entertainment and psychological escape. Low legal and digital literacy blurs the boundary between digital recreation and criminal conduct. Prevention operates through families, religious institutions, and village government, whereas repression relies on the parallel operation of national law and Qanun Jinayat, whose deterrent effect is amplified by social shame. The study concludes that controlling online gambling requires integrating formal legal enforcement with informal social control.
References
B. Schmeisser, T. Saebi, A. P. J. Schotter, and P. Gooderham, “The digital transformation of international business: A conceptualization, multidisciplinary review, and research agenda,” Journal of World Business, vol. 61, no. 1, p. 101695, Jan. 2026, doi: 10.1016/J.JWB.2025.101695.
A. Abernethy et al., “The Promise of Digital Health: Then, Now, and the Future,” NAM Perspectives, vol. 2022, no. 22, p. 10.31478/202206e, Jun. 2022, doi: 10.31478/202206E.
S. M. Gainsbury, A. Russell, N. Hing, R. Wood, D. Lubman, and A. Blaszczynski, “How the Internet is Changing Gambling: Findings from an Australian Prevalence Survey,” J. Gambl. Stud., vol. 31, no. 1, p. 1, Jan. 2013, doi: 10.1007/S10899-013-9404-7.
S. Kairouz et al., “A portrait of online gambling: a look at a transformation amid a pandemic,” Harm Reduct. J., vol. 22, no. 1, p. 136, Dec. 2025, doi: 10.1186/S12954-025-01265-1.
R. J. E. James, C. O’Malley, and R. J. Tunney, “Gambling on Smartphones: A Study of a Potentially Addictive Behaviour in a Naturalistic Setting,” Eur. Addict. Res., vol. 25, no. 1, p. 30, Jan. 2019, doi: 10.1159/000495663.
A. Fahrudin et al., “Online gambling addiction: Problems and solutions for policymakers and stakeholders in Indonesia,” Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development, vol. 8, no. 11, 2024, doi: 10.24294/JIPD.V8I11.9077.
H. Wardle et al., “The Lancet Public Health Commission on gambling,” Lancet Public Health, vol. 9, no. 11, pp. e950–e994, Nov. 2024, doi: 10.1016/S2468-2667(24)00167-1.
Y. K. Dwivedi et al., “Setting the future of digital and social media marketing research: Perspectives and research propositions,” Int. J. Inf. Manage., vol. 59, p. 102168, Aug. 2021, doi: 10.1016/J.IJINFOMGT.2020.102168.
F. Mihai, O. E. Aleca, and D. M. Iordache, “AI Personalization and Its Influence on Online Gamblers’ Behavior,” Behavioral Sciences, vol. 15, no. 6, p. 779, Jun. 2025, doi: 10.3390/BS15060779.
I. Kamalludin, H. Suhendar, B. D. Pratami, ’Alamul Yaqin, and N. Afifah, “Criminal Law Treats for Online Gambling Performers: Investment Fraud Modes,” Dialogia Iuridica, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 026–051, Nov. 2022, doi: 10.28932/DI.V14I1.5252.
A. Muzacky and M. R. Purwanto, “Digital Families and the Threat of Online Gambling: Legal Challenges in Protecting Children in Indonesia,” International Journal of Science and Society, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 559–577, Jul. 2025, doi: 10.54783/IJSOC.V7I2.1470.
S. Barrault and I. Varescon, “Impulsive sensation seeking and gambling practice among a sample of online poker players: Comparison between non pathological, problem and pathological gamblers,” Pers. Individ. Dif., vol. 55, no. 5, pp. 502–507, Sep. 2013, doi: 10.1016/J.PAID.2013.04.022.
M. W. Abbott, “The changing epidemiology of gambling disorder and gambling-related harm: public health implications,” Public Health, vol. 184, pp. 41–45, Jul. 2020, doi: 10.1016/J.PUHE.2020.04.003.
“InfoPublik - Polda Aceh Ungkap 136 Kasus Judi Online, 156 Tersangka Diamankan.” Accessed: Aug. 29, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://infopublik.id/kategori/nusantara/861626/bupati-toba-berharap-kpid-sumut-dorong-masifnya-konten-budaya
“Polda Aceh Ungkap 136 Kasus Judi Online, Amankan 157 Tersangka - RMOLACEH.ID.” Accessed: Aug. 29, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://www.rmolaceh.id/polda-aceh-ungkap-136-kasus-judi-online-amankan-156-tersangka
“Polda Aceh Ungkap 136 Kasus Judi Online - RRI.co.id.” Accessed: Aug. 29, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://rri.co.id/meulaboh/hukum/907758/privacy.html
J. A. Martinez-Escudero, F. Garcia, O. F. Garcia, M. Alcaide, and I. Bochons, “Parental Socialization and Adjustment Components in Adolescents and Middle-Aged Adults: How are They Related?,” Psychol. Res. Behav. Manag., vol. 16, p. 1127, 2023, doi: 10.2147/PRBM.S394557.
G. Conte et al., “Scrolling through adolescence: a systematic review of the impact of TikTok on adolescent mental health,” Eur. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry, vol. 34, no. 5, p. 1511, May 2024, doi: 10.1007/S00787-024-02581-W.
D. Borges et al., “On–Off Childhood? A Rapid Review of the Impact of Technology on Children’s Health,” Healthcare (Switzerland), vol. 13, no. 14, p. 1769, Jul. 2025, doi: 10.3390/HEALTHCARE13141769/S1.
K. E. Moore, J. B. Stuewig, and J. P. Tangney, “The Effect of Stigma on Criminal Offenders’ Functioning: A Longitudinal Mediational Model,” Deviant Behav., vol. 37, no. 2, pp. 196–218, Feb. 2016, doi: 10.1080/01639625.2014.1004035.
R. L. Akers and W. G. Jennings, “The Social Learning Theory of Crime and Deviance,” Handbooks of Sociology and Social Research, pp. 113–129, 2019, doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-20779-3_6.
V. Saladino, O. Mosca, M. Lauriola, L. Hoelzlhammer, C. Cabras, and V. Verrastro, “Is Family Structure Associated with Deviance Propensity during Adolescence? The Role of Family Climate and Anger Dysregulation,” Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, vol. 17, no. 24, p. 9257, Dec. 2020, doi: 10.3390/IJERPH17249257.
F. Wulandari, B. A. Sayidin, R. Rozlinda, F. Wulandari, B. A. Sayidin, and R. Rozlinda, “Criminal Sanctions Related to Online Gambling in The Perspective of Law Number 1 Of 2024 Concerning Electronic Information and Transactions,” International Conference on The State, Law, Politics & Democracy (ICon-SLPD), vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 282–294, Aug. 2024, Accessed: Aug. 29, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://openjournal.unpam.ac.id/index.php/ICon/article/view/43655
I. M. W. Darma and I. K. D. G. O. Yasa, “Legal Analysis of the Imposition of Criminal Sanctions Against Online Gambling Perpetrators From the Perspective of the Electronic Information and Transaction Law,” Jurnal Indonesia Sosial Sains, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 604–613, Feb. 2026, doi: 10.59141/JISS.V7I2.2219.
P. Sari, M. A. Amrullah, E. Setyawan, and T. Yanuarto, “The Application of Criminal Sanctions to Law Enforcement Officers Involved in Online Gambling, from the Perspective of Legal Positivism.: Penerapan Sanksi Pidana Pelaku Judi Online yang Dilakukan oleh Oknum Kepolisian dalam Perspektif Positivisme Hukum,” Indonesian Journal of Innovation Studies, vol. 24, pp. 10.21070/ijins.v25i.977-10.21070/ijins.v25i.977, Nov. 2023, doi: 10.21070/IJINS.V25I.977.
S. Tse, S. I. Hong, C. W. Wang, and R. M. Cunningham-Williams, “Gambling Behavior and Problems Among Older Adults: A Systematic Review of Empirical Studies,” The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, vol. 67, no. 5, pp. 639–652, Sep. 2012, doi: 10.1093/GERONB/GBS068.
M. Abbott et al., “Conceptual Framework of Harmful Gambling, Third Edition,” Nov. 2018, doi: 10.33684/CFHG3.EN.
C. Venuleo, D. Cuzzola, and T. Marinaci, “Sex and Age Differences and Psychosocial Determinants of Regular Gambling: Insights from a Community-Based Study,” Eur. J. Investig. Health Psychol. Educ., vol. 15, no. 12, p. 261, Dec. 2025, doi: 10.3390/EJIHPE15120261.
M. W. Abbott, “The changing epidemiology of gambling disorder and gambling-related harm: public health implications,” Public Health, vol. 184, pp. 41–45, Jul. 2020, doi: 10.1016/J.PUHE.2020.04.003.
Y. Jia, Y. Liang, Y. Xiong, and Y. Zhang, “Exploring Criminal Jurisdictional Conflicts in Cross-Border Online Gambling,” pp. 2980–2992, 2022, doi: 10.2991/978-2-494069-31-2_351.
A. A. Azis and M. I. Azhari, “Illegal Online Gambling in Indonesia: Assessing State Securitization and Its Effectiveness,” Jurnal Hubungan Internasional, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 1–14, Sep. 2025, doi: 10.18196/JHI.V14I1.27827.
R. Yusuf, S. Budiawan, R. Fitrotul Mualafina, S. Ulfiyani, and M. Mukhlis, “Media Representation of the Online Gambling Phenomenon in Indonesia through a Corpus-Assisted Critical Discourse Study,” Indonesian Language Education and Literature, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 386–404, May 2025, doi: 10.24235/ILEAL.V10I2.19629.
S. Adaliya, C. Sundari, and Y. Armansyah, “Gambling Control by the Jambi City, Indonesia Government from a Good Governance Perspective,” Journal of Governance and Public Policy, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 94–108, Feb. 2026, doi: 10.18196/JGPP.V13I1.28704.
L. Lewiandy, A. Gunadi, E. T. Putra, L. Lewiandy, A. Gunadi, and E. T. Putra, “THE PROHIBITION OF ONLINE GAMBLING IN INDONESIA: A LAW AND ECONOMIC ANALYSIS,” Indonesia Law Review, vol. 14, no. 2, p. 3, Aug. 2024, doi: 10.15742/ilrev.v14n2.1.
“Unraveling the Sociocultural Aspects of Online Gambling.” Accessed: Aug. 29, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://www.kompas.id/artikel/en-mengurai-aspek-sosio-kultural-judi-daring
M. E. Düken, Ö. K. Suzan, and M. Günaydın, “Problem gambling among working youth in Southeast Türkiye: predictors and psychological consequences,” BMC Public Health 2026 26:1, vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 1093-, Mar. 2026, doi: 10.1186/S12889-026-26878-4.
M. Lin, S. Liu, and F. Wang, “Research on the influence mechanism of social risk perception on addictive behavior among sports lottery gamblers: the moderating effect of social support,” Front. Psychol., vol. 16, p. 1704105, Dec. 2025, doi: 10.3389/FPSYG.2025.1704105/TEXT.
C. S. Andreassen et al., “The relationship between addictive use of social media and video games and symptoms of psychiatric disorders: A large-scale cross-sectional study,” Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, vol. 30, no. 2, pp. 252–262, 2016, doi: 10.1037/ADB0000160.
P. Delfabbro, D. King, C. Lambos, and S. Puglies, “Is video-game playing a risk factor for pathological gambling in Australian adolescents?,” J. Gambl. Stud., vol. 25, no. 3, pp. 391–405, Aug. 2009, doi: 10.1007/S10899-009-9138-8.
H. Molde et al., “Are Video Games a Gateway to Gambling? A Longitudinal Study Based on a Representative Norwegian Sample,” J. Gambl. Stud., vol. 35, no. 2, p. 545, 2018, doi: 10.1007/S10899-018-9781-Z.
K. J. Back, C. K. Lee, and R. Stinchfield, “Gambling Motivation and Passion: A Comparison Study of Recreational and Pathological Gamblers,” J. Gambl. Stud., vol. 27, no. 3, pp. 355–370, Sep. 2011, doi: 10.1007/S10899-010-9212-2.
S. M. Gainsbury, D. L. King, A. M. T. Russell, and P. Delfabbro, “Who Pays to Play Freemium Games? The Profiles and Motivations of Players Who Make Purchases Within Social Casino Games,” J. Behav. Addict., vol. 5, no. 2, p. 221, Jun. 2016, doi: 10.1556/2006.5.2016.031.
K. Lind, V. Marionneau, J. Järvinen-Tassopoulos, and A. H. Salonen, “Socio-Demographics, Gambling Participation, Gambling Settings, and Addictive Behaviors Associated with Gambling Modes: A Population-Based Study,” J. Gambl. Stud., vol. 38, no. 4, p. 1111, Dec. 2021, doi: 10.1007/S10899-021-10074-7.
S. Rassanjani and I. Rahmi, “The threat of online gambling to low-income communities: Insights from a bibliometric analysis,” Masyarakat, Kebudayaan dan Politik, vol. 38, no. 4, pp. 369–383, Nov. 2025, doi: 10.20473/MKP.V38I42025.369-383.
S. M. Gainsbury and A. Blaszczynski, “HOW BLOCKCHAIN AND CRYPTOCURRENCY TECHNOLOGY COULD REVOLUTIONIZE ONLINE GAMBLING,” Gaming Law Review, vol. 21, no. 7, pp. 482–492, Sep. 2017, doi: 10.1089/GLR2.2017.2174.
M. M. Auer and M. D. Griffiths, “The use of personalized behavioral feedback for online gamblers: an empirical study,” Front. Psychol., vol. 6, Sep. 2015, doi: 10.3389/FPSYG.2015.01406.
S. Sudaryono, P. Nugroho, and T. Kuncara, “The Socioeconomic Impact of Online Gambling on Economic Stability in Indonesia: A Policy-Oriented Analysis,” International Journal Multidisciplinary Science, vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 41–47, Jun. 2025, doi: 10.56127/IJML.V4I2.2152.
Y. Delice Bocaoğlu and L. E. Aybay, “The associations between gambling disorder, object relations, loneliness and quality of life,” Addicta: The Turkish Journal on Addictions, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 216–224, Jun. 2026, doi: 10.15805/ADDICTA.2026.501.
F. Martin, P. A. Lichtenberg, and T. N. Templin, “A Longitudinal Study: Casino Gambling Attitudes, Motivations, and Gambling Patterns Among Urban Elders,” Journal of gambling studies / co-sponsored by the National Council on Problem Gambling and Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming, vol. 27, no. 2, p. 287, Jun. 2011, doi: 10.1007/S10899-010-9202-4.
G. C. Prezzavento et al., “Gambling disorder in late life: A systematic review of behavioral patterns, clinical correlates, and psychotherapeutic interventions,” American Journal on Addictions, 2026, doi: 10.1111/AJAD.70188;WGROUP:STRING:PUBLICATION.
M. Fontaine et al., “Gambling and Aging: An Overview of a Risky Behavior,” Behavioral Sciences, vol. 13, no. 6, p. 437, Jun. 2023, doi: 10.3390/BS13060437.
H. S. Wahyuni et al., “Financial Literacy of Indonesian Society as an Effort to Face the Online Gambling Crisis,” Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, vol. 894, pp. 100–108, Dec. 2024, doi: 10.2991/978-2-38476-340-5_9.
M. Andrade, D. Costa, L. Weiss-Cohen, J. Torrance, and P. Newall, “Trading is a losing game: an audit of deceptive choice architecture in demo-mode Contract for Difference (CFD) trading apps,” Behavioural Public Policy , pp. 1–23, 2025, doi: 10.1017/BPP.2024.62.
Z. Ardian, D. Abdullah, Z. Yunizar, T. A. Tarigan, and H. Agil, “Designing a Community Reporting System for Online Gambling Activities in Aceh,” JINAV: Journal of Information and Visualization, vol. 6, no. 2, Dec. 2025, doi: 10.35877/454RI.JINAV4336.
S. P. Khairuna and S. Nasution, “Mental Health Analysis of Online Gambling Addicts in Percut Village, Percut Sei Tuan District, Deli Serdang Regency,” Journal of General Education and Humanities, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 1289–1300, Aug. 2025, doi: 10.58421/GEHU.V4I3.655.
M. R. Nanda, T. Anggraini, N. Aslami, and M. Rhenz Nanda, “The Impact of Online Gambling on Students: Productivity and Financial Health,” Edueksos: Jurnal Pendidikan Sosial & Ekonomi, vol. 14, no. 02, Oct. 2025, doi: 10.24235/EDUEKSOS.V14I2.22167.
F. Fazzan et al., “Penyuluhan Bahaya Narkoba dan Judi Online di Dayah Miftahus Salam Aceh Besar,” BAKTIMAS : Jurnal Pengabdian pada Masyarakat, vol. 6, no. 4, pp. 335–340, Dec. 2024, doi: 10.32672/BTM.V6I4.8552.
P. J. Online et al., “Pengaruh Judi Online dan Gaya Hidup Hedonis Terhadap Perilaku Keuangan Generasi Z di Aceh Barat,” Ekopedia: Jurnal Ilmiah Ekonomi, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 335–348, Jan. 2026, doi: 10.63822/T693TH24.
H. Wardle, N. Critchlow, A. Brown, C. Donnachie, A. Kolesnikov, and K. Hunt, “The association between gambling marketing and unplanned gambling spend: Synthesised findings from two online cross-sectional surveys,” Addictive Behaviors, vol. 135, p. 107440, Dec. 2022, doi: 10.1016/J.ADDBEH.2022.107440.
