Husbands' gambling addiction drives surge in divorces in Indonesia, data shows

KEDIRI – Mounting financial pressure, driven by husbands’ addiction to online gambling, has led thousands of women in Kediri to file for divorce.

Data from the Kediri Religious Court showed that 1,522 divorce cases were recorded from January to June 2025.

Of these, 1,205 were petitions filed by wives, while 317 were divorces initiated by husbands.

The main reasons cited for the petitions were infidelity, failure to provide financial support and addiction to online gambling.

This marks an increase of over 50 cases compared to the same period in 2024, which saw a total of 1,455 cases.

“The vast majority of cases are filed by wives,” said Mohamad Imron, an Assistant Legal Registrar at the Kediri Religious Court.

Imron clarified that despite the high number of filings, the court does not grant divorces immediately.

“There are several requirements that must be met, including that the couple must have lived separately for at least six months.

“If not, the application will be rejected under the Niet Ontvankelijke Verklaard (NO) regulation, which means the case cannot be accepted," he said.

However, exceptions are made in cases of domestic violence, provided there is a police report and medical evidence.

“There’s a saying that divorce is intentionally made difficult unless there is a strong reason,” Imron added.