Gambling in Ghana – Is it Legal and Popular?

As of July 2024, Ghana’s economy has been thriving, experiencing a significant increase in GDP since the turn of the millennium. This robust growth has led to a rise in disposable income among the country’s 33 million people, sparking optimism about the future. The question then arises: Are people choosing to spend this extra money on gambling? It appears that the opportunity for local sites to boom has been lost as the best US poker sites are more popular, but let’s take a look at why this is.

Legality of Gambling in Ghana: All Good

Gambling is considered a legal pastime in Ghana. The Ghana Gaming Commission (or GGC for short) is a government body that regulates all forms of gambling activity in the country. It sets the laws and rules for all businesses offering gambling services, including casinos, online casinos, and betting shops.

The Gaming Act 2006 brought about regulation and legislation for all gambling activity that is considered to be luck or chance-based. Before this, much gambling was unchecked and unverified, meaning there was the potential for unfair games. However, the national lotteries in Ghana have been regulated since 1960 and remain relatively popular in the country.

Betting Shops Still More Popular than Online

While many bettors are going online for their betting ventures, Ghanaian bettors generally still prefer to bet at tangible venues. Unlike other countries, especially in Europe, the internet is still unavailable to everyone in the country. In 2017, less than 30% of the population could access high-speed internet.

As of January 2024, that percentage has steadily risen to 69%. However, that still means many Ghanaians will visit betting shops to place their wagers. In addition, bettors may have already set their behaviors to go to the betting shop as part of their routine. Even with enhanced connectivity, Ghana-based gamblers may have built communities and lifestyle choices around their betting shop patronage.

Underage Gambling Problems

Unfortunately, Ghana does have a few issues with its gambling scene. The law states that gambling is only for adults aged 18 and over. Sadly, some youngsters find themselves on gambling sites, spending money meant to be spent on school supplies on gambling games.

YFM, one of the leading news sites in Ghana, wrote a piece in 2023 stating that many underage gamblers could walk into betting shops without any age verification checks and alsosign up for gambling sites without needing to ratify their age.

There is an immediate concern for the kids gambling with money they don’t have and the long-lasting ripple effects on society if this generation grows up with a gambling addiction. There are calls for the government to solidify the betting experience to ensure it is closed off to children and schools to teach the pitfalls of gambling and even problem gambling.

Gambling Sites Based in Ghana and Overseas

The GGC has granted permission to operate around 31 online betting sites in Ghana. However, the domestic sites are usually less popular; while these offer the ability to deposit and gamble in Ghanaian Cedi, online bettors prefer other sites. The two most visited gambling industry sites by Ghanaian web users (according to SEMRush) are Sportybet.com and MSport.com, two Nigerian-based betting platforms. Nigeria legalized gambling a little earlier than Ghana and is generally more affluent; therefore, it can build better betting sites. Like other popular sites, Ghanaian gamblers look for trustworthiness in online gambling. This includes Ghana-facing versions of big brands like 1X Bet, Betway, and Mega Pari.

Football is Popular for Betting in Ghana

Football is widely considered to be the most popular sport in West Africa. Ghanaians love to watch their national team and a variety of top European leagues, for which many of their national superstars play. Jordan Ayew, Tariq Lamptey, and Mohammad Kudus play in the Premier League, one of the most followed leagues in the world. As such, betting sites and shops incentivize gamblers to bet on football with offers and enhanced odds for such markets.

Boxing and Basketball Contest Second Spot

It’s a close call for Ghana’s second favorite sport. The country has a decent pedigree of boxers emerging out of the African divisions as champions and then going on to fight top fighters in America and the UK. It is often referred to as the country’s second-most watched sport. However, boxing fights do not take place as frequently as basketball games.

The NBA and other basketball competitions always have a game. This presents ripe opportunities for bettors of Ghana and beyond to place wagers. Despite not having a particularly fruitful national basketball team or league system, gamblers in Ghana make the sport relevant through their wagers.

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