The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has reported the conduct of several betting companies to the Gaming Commission for engaging in unauthorized betting on matches organized and sanctioned by the GFA.
The association has urgently requested the Gaming Commission’s assistance in investigating these companies and taking appropriate measures to ensure they cease offering unauthorized betting services on the GFA’s matches. The Gaming Commission of Ghana is responsible for issuing licenses to gaming operators and permits to individuals and companies looking to run promotions that involve elements of chance.
The companies identified in the GFA’s report include Betway, Soccabet, Sportybet, Football.com, and ilotbet. The unauthorized use of any of the GFA’s match data by these companies for betting purposes infringes on the Association’s legal rights and constitutes a clear breach of its rules and regulations.
The GFA maintains a strict policy against unauthorized betting on football matches, as such activities threaten the integrity of the game and can damage the Association’s reputation.
In a previous address during the 30th convocation of Congress at the GFA Technical Centre, Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence, President Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku issued a stern warning to betting companies operating in the country. He stated, “No betting company has been authorised to offer odds on Ghana Premier League (GPL) matches.” He added that the GFA’s legal team would soon take action against any betting companies that continue to include GPL matches in their offerings.
“We have not licensed any betting company to take odds on our games,” President Simeon-Okraku said during the 30th Ordinary Congress in Prampram on August 27, 2024. “We are going to empower our legal department to confront this issue head-on. It is not okay for betting companies to feed on our football.”
The GFA President has made it clear that the association is open to collaborating with betting companies, but only if they comply with the necessary regulations.
