Indonesia, stretching between two continents, is one of the world’s unique nations. It has a chain of over seventeen thousand five hundred islands across Asia and Oceania. Its thirty-four different provinces enjoy robust economic ties with several countries. Two of the world’s top tourist destinations are Indonesia’s Bali and Jakarta. You can visit so many beautiful places here, and the landscape is very breathtaking. Indonesia’s population of over two hundred and fifty-two million is massive. That makes it the fourth country with most people. Its capital and largest city, Jakarta, already has a large population. Its thirty million people make it the second-largest metropolitan area in the world.
Indonesia’s huge population is an enormous potential poker market. But let us not forget that Indonesia is a very conservative country. Betting is not something Indonesians are proud of doing. The government increased its efforts in banning poker and other casino games. Other countries are already liberalizing their view on online betting. But, Indonesia has no plan of getting into the bandwagon. Indonesia is an Islamic country with only one out of ten Indonesians being non-Muslim. As most people know, Islam is not open to any betting.
Online betting
There are no official establishments, like a casino, where you can do your betting here. And people will not go through the hassle of going to an underground establishment or bookie. It is very inconvenient and too risky. That is why online betting, such as online poker, is increasing popularity in this country. People can enjoy IDN Poker in complete privacy with nobody to stop them. The authorities are always trying to block people from downloading online betting software. But, a virtual private network is all you need to access such websites.
Sports betting
The most popular kind of betting in Indonesia is none other than sports betting. There are a lot of sports fans and enthusiasts in this country. There were millions of Rupiah spent on the Euro 2012 football championship. They are more than willing to pay a lot of money in sports betting. Some were even selling their homes to place their bets. That is one of the most significant factors why the government is redoubling its efforts.
There are also betting sites that offer odds on various Asian and Indonesian sports. The Indonesian Pencak Silat and Sepak Takraw are two of the most popular games in Indonesia. There are thousands of spectators that gather every year to watch these.
Live poker
You can consider poker as an emerging casino game in Indonesia. But, one of the most successful professional poker players in the world is Indonesian. John Juanda is Indonesian-born and moved to the United States. He brought his country fame with his impressive poker performances. Underground casinos started to sprout, but live poker is very rare. The establishments only accept members due to the risks involved. Most establishments tend to be more on casino games, such as slot games. You have to be very patient if you want to look for a poker game. Again, another reason why online live poker has increased its popularity.
The Indonesian authorities have taken steps towards a complete ban on all betting. A lot of locally-hosted sites already shut down over the past few months. But, policing the internet is not an easy feat. Many international online betting sites still accept Indonesian registrations. Indonesians can only hope for a fundamental change in the authorities’ mindset. For now, international online betting sites are their only source of betting.