Compliance Issues in Relation to Sports Betting in Ghana

Sports betting in Ghana is governed by the Gaming Act, 2006 (Act 721), and is under the regulation of the Gaming Commission of Ghana. The Gaming Commission’s mandate is to grant licenses to companies incorporated to undertake sports betting in Ghana. The gaming industry over the years has experienced tremendous growth, making it one of the largest gaming markets in Africa. With strong growth in the technology sector, the market has expanded steadily as operators of the gaming sectors operate mostly online. The rapid growth of the sector has brought several critical compliance issues.

Compliance Issues in Relation to Sports Betting

1. Unlicensed Operators and Black Sites

Many unlicensed and unregulated operators operate in the Ghanaian gaming industry by making their platforms available in Ghana. These operators use Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and process their transactions using cryptocurrencies, which is difficult for local regulators to track. These unlicensed entities evade their tax obligations which is needed to promote national development.

2. Tax Compliance

The taxation of gaming and betting activities in Ghana is primarily governed by the Income Tax Act, (Act 896), as amended by subsequent legislations like the Income Tax (Amendment) Act 2023 (Act 1094) and the Income Tax (Amendment) Act, 2025 (Act 1129). A 20% tax  is applied on the operator’s Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) from betting and other games of chance. Gaming operators are mandated by the law to correctly deduct and remit the GGR to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA). A 10% withholding tax on players winnings was introduced in 2023 but has been repealed in April 2025.

3. Responsible Betting and KYC (Know Your Customer) Enforcement

The gaming laws strictly prohibits individuals under 18 years from accessing gaming platforms or entering betting premises. The

4. Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter-Terrorism Financing (CTF)

The gaming and betting industry in Ghana is considered vulnerable to financial crimes because of the high volume of cash transactions, digital money transfers, and potential for anonymous play. Stringent rules have been put in place to align with international standards set by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2020 (Act 1044) is the core legislation that criminalizes money laundering and terrorism financing.

Gaming operators are mandated to implement compliance measures like,

• KYC (Know Your Customer) – This is to verify the identities of their customers.
• Record Keeping – Section 32 of Act 1044 mandates that all customer identification records, and transaction details be securely maintained for at least five years.
• Enhanced Due Diligence – This is a rigorous, in-depth background investigation applied to high-risk business relationships, customers, or transactions.
• Suspicious Transaction Reporting (STR):Operators are legally obligated to monitor player behavior (e.g., unusual betting patterns, structuring bets, attempting to withdraw unplayed deposits) and report any suspicious activities to the FIC immediately.

5. Data Protection Compliance

Sports betting companies are mandated to register with the Data Protection Commission as individual data processing is involved in their operations. It is important to comply with data protection laws. By so doing, you ensure that user personal data is collected, processed, and stored securely with appropriate consent and transparency.

6. Advertising

The Gaming Commission of Ghana has developed an advertising guideline for operators of games of chance. The purpose of the advertising guideline is to ensure that advertisement by gaming operators is conducted in a responsible manner devoid of deception and minimize exposure to minors.

Advertisements must always be vetted and approved by the Gaming Commission of Ghana, should contain warnings like  “Gamble Responsibly”, “only 18 years+”, “Gambling is addictive” etc. Celebrity endorsements are prohibited. These restrictions among others must be adhered to by sports betting operators and other games of chance operators or lose the risk of renewing their gaming licenses.

Conclusion

Sports betting and other various games of chance in Ghana generate significant revenue, thus contributing greatly to Ghana’s economic growth. Sports betting operators are to comply with these regulations to enable them to operate legally and avoid legal penalties. The Gaming Commission of Ghana every now and then as their mandate requires regulates all activities of games of chance and ensures that all operators of sports betting and other games of chance comply with the laws applicable to operate in the gaming industry.