West Java Governor urges citizens to avoid online gambling and loans

West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi has called on residents to manage their finances more wisely to avoid falling into the traps of online gambling and online loans. Speaking at the FinExpo 2026 event in Bandung, Mulyadi expressed concern that West Java currently holds the highest rates for both online gambling and online lending in Indonesia.

Data from the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) indicates that 535,644 people in West Java are involved in online gambling, totaling 3.8 trillion IDR. This figure is significantly higher than in DKI Jakarta, which reported 238,000 participants and 2.3 trillion IDR. Similarly, OJK data shows West Java leads in online lending with 5.02 million borrower accounts totaling 23.94 trillion IDR, surpassing DKI Jakarta and East Java.

Mulyadi cautioned against using debt to maintain social prestige or fund expensive traditional ceremonies, noting that such habits can lead to long-term financial suffering for families. He emphasized that while citizens can manage their own economic pursuits, the state must ensure that health and education costs do not deplete their hard-earned savings.