Laws on Sports Betting Explicit- Gaming Commission

The Gaming Commission of Ghana has called for collaboration between the police and the District Assemblies to assist in ensuring responsible sports betting across the country.

Public Affairs Manager of the Commission, Ms Beatrice Baiden, said the collaboration which would ultimately focus on ensuring that children under the age of 18 do not participate in sports, would go a long way to ensure the industry was sanitized for the better.

“It is only when leaders of communities support the commission with assistance from the police, that we can ensure that the sports betting industry operate responsibly,” she stated.

She was speaking at Betway Ghana and Commission’s stakeholder engagement held in the Eastern region dubbed “Bet the Responsible Way.”

The meeting brought together officials of the Commission, Betway staff, Assembly members across the region as well as the Media to discuss measures of ensuring responsible betting across the country.

Ms Baiden said, minors engaged in betting was the heartbeat of the Commission and several efforts had been made to ensure they desisted from the act which could jeopardize their future.

“They could even be arrested and prosecuted if found engaging in such activities so parents and leaders in communities must guard their wards against sports betting to protect them,” she cautioned.

“The laws are very explicit and would need the support of stakeholders to ensure that everyone abides by the laws surrounding sports betting in the country, she stated.

The challenge of the regulatory body she said, was their inability to move across every nook and cranny of the country to ensure that people especially underage children were not involved in betting.

She added that, operators could also face the law if they allow children to bet on their platforms with a possible 12-month imprisonment.

“Advertising guidelines must be followed; local government must ensure organizations are duly licensed while the media must also inform the public on their platforms on responsible betting. All stakeholders must be involved,” she stressed.

Principal Officer, Monitoring and Investigations at the Commission, Mr Dennis Adzie said the doors of the Commission was always opened for the public to report cases of children engaging in sports betting, for the right actions to be taken.

On their own, he said, they would frequently organize checks across the country with agents to ensure betting companies were acting according to the laws.

On his part, Betway Country Manager, Marketing Kwabena Oppong Nkrumah said the Bet the Responsible Way campaign was their way to ensure a very safe and secure betting atmosphere across the country.

In view of that, he said, they regularly update their system to ensure that children do not enter their platform and engage in betting.

“We have identified challenges that confront responsible betting and taken steps to ensuring that stakeholders were engaged to address the challenges,” he stated.

Betway he said, as part of efforts to ensure responsible betting, provided a system to set limits on bets that could be played and include the provision of Identification Card details and other information to avoid children getting onto their platforms.

“We want the industry to be protected with people participating in a sustainable manner and not create a social challenge,” he said.

Regulators he said, must do well to ensure that their advertising guidelines were enforced and also provide a comprehensive guideline for sports betting in the country.

The Police led by ASP Stephen Nkansah commended Betway for the campaign adding that it would go a long way to ensure responsible betting especially in rural communities.

He said, with support of the District Assemblies, they were committed to ensuring that minors betting became a thing of the past.

District Assembly representatives also pledged to support the campaign by being vigilant and ensure children to note engage in betting while media personnel also took turns to highlight their role in promoting responsible betting in the country.

MICHAEL D. ABAYATEYE