JARINGAN KOMUNIKASI ANTAR MAHASISWA PEMAIN JUDI ONLINE DALAM APLIKASI HIGGS DOMINO DI KOTA MALANG

The development of technology and information has enabled many aspects to be conducted digitally, leading to both positive and negative impacts for its users. One of the negative impacts is the increasing prevalence of online gambling phenomena among university students. Engaging in online gambling entails communication among players, thus forming a communication network. This study aims to analyze the communication network structure among university student online gamblers in the Higgs Domino application in the city of Malang. Additionally, it seeks to identify the factors that drive students to engage in online gambling practices. The method used in this research is descriptive qualitative. Data collection techniques involved interviews with research subjects conducted using snowball sampling theory. Once data was obtained, it was collected and analyzed using sociometric analysis techniques. Utilizing sociogram analysis via the UCINET 6.0 application, this study successfully identified a Y-shaped communication pattern within the network. Moreover, the research explored individual characteristic variables including age, level of formal education, level of social media ownership, and frequency of playing Higgs Domino online gambling as supportive factors in understanding the researched phenomenon. Based on interview results, it was found that individuals are interested in playing online gambling due to several factors: influence from friends or environment; desire to obtain a large amount of money quickly without working; seeking entertainment and feeling bored or saturated; easy internet access; and difficulty in self-control to refrain from gambling.