Upside of iGaming in Ghana

Continuing our new series of iGaming in Africa, SiGMA News examines the upside of iGaming in Africa.

Sports betting is the most common form of iGaming in Ghana

A study on problem gambling in under-served communities in Ghana, penned by Franklyn Glozah of the University of Ghana and published in the International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health, found that sports betting was the most prevalent of the four common forms of gambling. The study concluded that ‘’perceived social difficulties influenced Ghanaian youths to have a positive attitude towards gambling”. Still, it added that protective social factors from family may promote a negative attitude towards gambling.
But negativity expressed by families and educators on gambling habits does not appear to have deterred the 49 gambling companies already registered in Ghana, many of which are big international brands.

Gaming Commission and Ghana Investment Promotion Centre

Gambling licenses are issued by the Gaming Commission. To obtain one, companies must register at the Registrar General, the Gaming Commission and the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre. Those who have done so report the process as overly complicated and lengthy. Worth noting, too, that gambling businesses must be partly owned by Ghanaian nationals.

So while perhaps not for the faint-hearted, any companies that decide to prospect in Ghana may
discover that Ghana’s wealth waiting to be unearthed relates more to its youth than its gold.

Is sports betting a threat to children’s education in Ghana?

In Ghana the law prohibits land based gambling establishments from being within 500 metres of schools. However online gaming has brought easy access to sports betting.? A report on education in Ghana published this week has identified sports betting as a ‘major threat with many minors now indulging in under-age gambling.? ?Calls are being made to the Government to update gambling laws and crack down on under age gambling. Most gambling sites have already reacted to this by adopting responsible gaming options.

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SiGMA News examines iGaming prospects in Ghana