The phenomenon of the use of social assistance for illegal activities such as internet gambling, which has a negative impact on the welfare of beneficiary families and the effectiveness of government social programs, forms the basis of the research. Village heads and village secretaries were interviewed in depth as descriptive --qualitative methodology used in this study.
The results indicate misuse of PKH assistance due to economic pressure, low financial literacy, and the ease of access to online gambling applications through digital devices. The impact includes rising household debt, disruption of children's education, and an additional administrative burden for village officials. AnaIysis using-- George C. Edwards III’s policy implementation theory reveals weaknesses in the aspects of communication, resources, implementers' disposition, and bureaucratic structure. This study recommends strengthening digital supervision systems, public education, fund usage restrictions, and cross-sector collaboration as strategic steps to address these issues.
Keywords: Family Hope Program (PKH), online gambling, assistance misuse, policy implementation, Edwards III.