Prabowo Warns Indonesia Loses Rp 133 Trillion a Year to Online Gambling, Urges Global Crackdown at APEC Summit
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GYEONGJU, Investortrust.id — President Prabowo Subianto says Indonesia loses about US$ 8 billion, equal to Rp 133 trillion, every year due to the outflow of funds from online gambling activities, a drain he describes as a serious blow to the national economy.
Speaking at the second session of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting (AELM) at the Hwabaek International Convention Centre in Gyeongju, Republic of Korea, on Saturday, Nov 1, 2025, Prabowo said, “It is estimated that Indonesia loses around US$ 8 billion annually due to capital outflows caused by online gambling.”
He warned that online gambling was only one part of a wider challenge of cross-border crimes such as smuggling, corruption, and narcotics trafficking, which collectively undermine economic stability and public trust. The president called for deeper international collaboration among APEC members to address these threats effectively.
“Indonesia urges all nations in APEC to join hands in combating transnational crimes like corruption, smuggling, narcotics trafficking, and online gambling that harm our people and economies,” Prabowo said.
The president also underscored the importance of mastering advanced technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to drive national progress. “I am convinced that this is the path forward. We must ensure control over our technological future, and I believe that through APEC cooperation, we can achieve this goal,” he said.
Prabowo reaffirmed Indonesia’s commitment to strengthening digital education and skills training. He said the country would actively participate in APEC initiatives to expand capacity in technology, education, and innovation, while also empowering small businesses and reinforcing public health systems in response to demographic changes.
“We also want to empower small enterprises and strengthen our health systems to prepare for demographic transitions,” he added.
In his remarks, Prabowo emphasized that artificial intelligence and high technology would be central to Indonesia’s efforts to eradicate poverty, boost productivity, and achieve food security. These efforts, he said, represent the nation’s most urgent mission.
“The most pressing challenge for Indonesia—and what we continue to emphasize to our economic partners—is to eradicate poverty and hunger as swiftly as possible. We are concentrating all our efforts on this. For that reason, we believe that we can greatly benefit from the use of artificial intelligence,” Prabowo explained.
He also revealed that Indonesia had begun to see tangible results from the application of AI in agriculture. The use of precision farming technology, he said, has boosted national productivity and helped Indonesia reach self-sufficiency in rice and corn faster than expected.
“We are now using AI in the agricultural sector to develop precision and modern farming techniques. This has enabled us to achieve self-sufficiency in rice and corn production. Our initial target was to achieve this within four years, but through the use of high technology and AI, we have increased production to the highest level in Indonesia’s history since independence,” the president said.