How did gambling start in Ghana

Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a sovereign unitary presidential constitutional democracy located in the subregion of West Africa.

Ghana shares borders with Ivory Coast to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo in the east, and the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. Ghana’s population is over 28 million people. The country Capital city Accra with approximately 2.7 million residents, the country’s official language is English. Still, there are many national languages spoken around, such as Akuapem Twi, Asante Twi, and Dagaare, to name a few. Modern-day Ghana was home for known to have numerous kingdoms, but Ashanti was the most popular. For example. At the beginning of the 15th century, various European powers wanted to seize the country, but ultimately the British established control of the territory in the 19th century.

The 1900s found the current borders of the country as the British Gold Coast. In 1957, Ghana became the first sub-Saharan African nation to declare independence from European colonization it was during this time that free gambling recorded in Ghana during the traditional rituals of these kingdoms. Significantly in 1960, gambling was legislated. The Lotteries and Betting Act was followed by a few other laws to address different form of entertainment. These include football pools and gaming machines.

Under the legislation, lotteries flourished in the nation, and it is still the most popular. Although in the early millennium, lawmakers in the country realized gambling could generate revenue after seeing the success of the lottery, which captured the imagination of so many people in the country. 2006 saw a new gaming Act enacted that form the Gaming Commission of Ghana under hospices of the Ministry of Interior. The role was to be consistent with that of other gambling watchdogs around the globe. They charged with the responsibility of overlooking the industry and advising the government of developments excluding the lottery, which is run by the National Lottery Authority (NLA). Its responsibilities include the regulation, monitoring and supervising games of chance in accordance following Gaming Act 721 in 2006. While licensing for casino and sporting operators is handled by GGC.

Finally, the short-coming of the 2006 Act, did not address the unique online gambling in Ghana till date as it is the most recent Act passed by the government. Such it is, in major African countries, which leaves the online gambling industry-wide open for domestic and international operators to operate. Those who provide sportsbook and online casino owe the government nothing for doing business in the country. There are also none in player’s protection measures in place either. So it takes two tangoes.

Article by Adeleye Awakan
Associate/Editor www.gbc.ng Africa’s digital gaming news portal. For consultant, Africa gambling space, Bookmaker’s review, Content, thoughtful leadership article Africa gambling industry: feel free to reach me [email protected], Linkedin Adeleye Awakan.

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