The Medan District Court sentenced a university student to two years and six months in prison for promoting an online gambling site on social media.
The 20-year-old student from Lengkat County, Indah Siska Sari, was found guilty of violating Article 45(3) of the 2024 Electronic Information and Transactions Law. The court also imposed a fine of 50 million Indonesian Rupiah (approximately $3,100), with an additional two months of imprisonment if the fine is not paid.
The presiding judge, Vera Yetti Magdalena, noted that the defendant's actions undermined the government's efforts to combat gambling crimes. However, the court recognized that the defendant showed remorse and had no prior criminal record, which were considered mitigating factors.
The case began in October 2024, when a public complaint was made about a woman posting gambling content on Instagram. The police traced these posts to a coffee shop in East Medan, where Sari was arrested. Her phone and social media accounts were examined, confirming that she had used the platform to advertise a gambling site called "Hopeng."
According to the prosecution, Sari had been promoting the site from August to early October 2024, earning an income of 300,000 Indonesian Rupiah every 15 days. Her total earnings amounted to 850,000 Indonesian Rupiah, which she claimed was used to pay for university-related expenses.
The prosecutor, Vina Monika, initially sought a three-year prison sentence and a fine of 15 million Indonesian Rupiah, but the court opted for a reduced sentence due to the defendant's cooperation and early guilty plea.
Sari and the Medan District Prosecutor's Office both have one week to appeal the verdict.
