South Sulawesi Dinsos: Most social aid accounts used for online gambling found in Makassar

The Head of the South Sulawesi Social Affairs Office, Abdul Malik Faizal, revealed that Makassar has the highest number of reported cases where social assistance (bansos) accounts are allegedly being used for online gambling transactions. Faizal attributed this concentration in the provincial capital to the city's greater access to technology, which facilitates online gambling activities.

While Faizal confirmed the prevalence of the issue in Makassar, he noted that his office does not possess precise data on the number of affected accounts. He described the situation as highly dynamic, with figures potentially changing rapidly. The complexity of these cases, he explained, means that not all recipients whose accounts are flagged for gambling are themselves gamblers; some accounts are used by others without the recipient's knowledge.

Faizal cited an example from Takalar Regency, where an elderly recipient lost her social assistance benefits because her account was used for online gambling by her child without her consent. Similar instances have involved facilitators of the Family Hope Program (PKH) who allegedly exploited recipients' accounts for gambling. In response, the office is applying selective policies, offering opportunities for individuals whose accounts were misused without their knowledge to have their benefits reinstated.

Currently, the Social Affairs Office is undertaking a data cleansing process to verify the eligibility of all social assistance recipients and to remove those who are no longer in need due to improved financial circumstances. Despite these challenges, Faizal noted a slight increase in the number of social assistance recipients in South Sulawesi, with the number of PKH recipients rising by approximately 10,000 from December 2025 to reach 311,000 families.