Jakarta – In a bid to protect their business interests, underground gambling kingpins are pressing for legal casinos to be built in the capital here instead of on a northern island chain.

About 250 fierce-looking protesters from Metro Watch, an organisation allegedly backed by powerful underworld figures, besieged Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso's residence on Saturday.

They were protesting against his call to build casinos in the Seribu Islands but they were told the Governor was not at home. They left after 20 minutes saying they would be holding a bigger protest at the City Administration Office in central Jakarta.

A protest coordinator, who asked not to be named, admitted Metro Watch had financial support from businessmen excluded from the plan to build legal casinos in the Seribu Islands and who wanted a share of the industry.

"I think they were mad about the plan, as the illegal gambling business in Jakarta is being threatened by the administration," he said. "By localising the casinos in the Seribu Islands, all the scattered gambling centres in Jakarta would be eradicated. The administration has already chosen one well-known gambling businessman for the Seribu Islands who happens to be a close friend of the Governor." The coordinator would not identify the people to whom he was referring.

City administration spokesman Muhayat dismissed the suggestion that he and his colleagues had made up their minds on the project.

Another protest coordinator, Noval, said Mr Sutiyoso's proposal to establish casinos in the Seribu Islands would be problematic as they could not be policed effectively. "The most appropriate place is here in Jakarta, as the administration and the police could easily monitor the place. The Seribu Islands are quite far away, which could result in a lack of monitoring and control by the authorities," he said.

The protesters also demanded the administration take steps to prevent gambling from having a negative impact on society, but not to eradicate the business.

Mr Sutiyoso last Thursday signalled that the administration was ready to build infrastructure on the islands. The previous day, Seribu Islands Regent Abdul Kadir revealed that an investor had submitted a proposal for a casino and others had also expressed an interest.