Indonesian Ministry of Tourism rules out land-based casino in Bali

Authorities said land-based gambling will remain illegal.

Indonesia.- Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy has poured cold water on a proposal for a casino in Bali. Speaking at a weekly press conference in Jakarta held on Monday (August 5), he said casino gambling remained illegal.

The head of the Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association (Hipmi) Bali had proposed the idea, arguing that a move on online gambling could lead to a shift to offline gambling. Bali’s Tourism Office has also rejected the idea. It said its focus remains on cultural tourism aligned with the nation’s values.

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In other news, Stefanus Asat Gusma, general chair of the PP Catholic Youth, expressed willingness to collaborate with the government in actions against online gambling. Asat Gusma said the Catholic youth would conduct preventive initiatives, such as outreach and education, targeting younger people, to raise awareness about the negative impacts of online gambling.