Ghana Betting: Truly the Land of Gold

Ghana may have been named the Land of Gold for different reasons back in time but it definitely still holds true for various other reasons now.

Ghana is one of the more prosperous nations in Africa and has a growing economy. Ghanaians are vibrant and love their football. This has led to a major upsurge in betting, especially, sports betting. The nation has a thriving betting industry as it is legal and well regulated.

The Gaming Commission of Ghana (GCG) regulates the betting market in the country and is responsible for handing out licenses to betting platforms for legal operations. The sports betting industry has been regulated in Ghana since 1960, which allows its citizens to bet in-person or online.

The most famous sports in Ghana are football (soccer), basketball, tennis, cricket, golf, boxing and American football. However, Ghanaian bettors do not restrict themselves in any way when it comes to betting. They are passionate and like to mix betting with being fans.

Jackpot bets are very popular in Ghana and almost every online sportsbook has the option of a jackpot in its own variation.

There are over 20 licensed and registered sports betting companies in Ghana and this number is bound to increase. The government has almost no legislation for online sports betting, so make sure you only sign up and bet with reputable and established companies to safeguard yourself against scamsters.

Is Sports Betting Legal in Ghana?

Yes, absolutely. It is completely legal for those living in Ghana to participate in online sports betting. The Lotteries Betting Act 1960 was the first legislation passed to allow sports betting in the country and after that, 2 more resolutions were passed for the regulation of the betting space – Gambling Machines Act 1973 and the Casino Licensing Act 1975.

The most recent legislation to gambling in Ghana was The Gaming Act of 2006, however. The Act made the Ghana Gaming Commission responsible for regulating sports betting and with a license for the GCG, not only domestic but also international betting companies are allowed to operate in the country.

The Popularity of Sports Betting in Ghana

Ghana has majorly turned to the online sports betting market. Some use betting as a means of making money if unemployed while others use it to try and earn additional income. Many people are turning to sports betting, especially, football (soccer), as they believe it is the fastest way of making money.

Since the internet has become more accessible in the country, there has been an incredible rise in online betting. Ghana loves sports with football leading the way given the fantastic performances in recent times at the FIFA World Cup. Football is by far, the biggest market for sports betting.

Ghana Sports Betting Market

Accra is the biggest betting hub in Ghana followed by Kumasi but that is no surprise given the population of both the areas. Ghana is home to over 28 million people so the possibilities for the growth of the online sports betting industry are endless.

Ghanaians love to bet on their local football teams and the Ghana Premier League. There are many online bookmakers that offer customised promotions to bettors for betting on their local teams given its high popularity.

Locals also love betting on the English Premier League and Spanish La Liga, which are extremely popular as well.

Boxing is the second-most popular sport in Ghana for betting. Bookmakers in Ghana offer odds ranging from world championship fights to local bouts as well. The popularity of boxing in the country is truly jaw-dropping.

Mobile Betting in Ghana

Mobile betting is very popular in Ghana. Most online platforms have apps or mobile versions of their websites that can be used for betting.

Over 10 million people in Ghana have access to the internet, all thanks to mobile phone penetration in the country. This has led to all sportsbooks focussing on making a mobile-friendly app/website that is user-friendly.

You can create a betting account from your mobile phone itself and do not require a desktop PC or laptop to register. Deposits and withdrawals are easy to do on the phone as well.

Betting Bonuses in Ghana

The popularity of sports betting in Ghana has led to stiff competition. Companies are trying to stand out and be better than their competitors to try and expand their user-base. This has benefitted customers at large as bonuses and promotional offers are available on every platform.

Do your research and pick your favourite online sportsbook(s) based on the perks you get alongside the best odds. There is no need for you to compromise and there is no restriction on how many accounts you can have. You can have an account on every online sports betting platform that you wish to so be smart.

You will find daily and weekly promotions across online bookmakers so keep an eye out for these. A welcome bonus is practically a given across most online sports betting platforms so do try leveraging this option because it enables you for a practically free bet.

Payment Methods for Betting in the Land of Gold

There is an extensive choice for making betting deposits and withdrawals in Ghana. Bettors can use most of the common payment options like Visa, MasterCard, bank transfers and e-wallets like Skrill, Neteller, PayPal and ecoPayz.

All payment methods are straightforward, quick and easy. Generally, to process a withdrawal, you need to use the same method that was used when depositing the funds into your betting account. Typically, the processing time for withdrawals ranges from 1 to 6 working days.

Do keep a tab on all your bonuses as withdrawals tend to lead to forfeiture of your bonuses or promotions. In order to operate deposits and withdrawals, it is extremely important to verify your account so do not miss this step.

MTN Mobile Money, Airtel, Vodafone Cash and Tigo are all accepted deposit methods on most online betting platforms in Ghana.

Debit cards and credit cards are always welcome and certain platforms also accept payments in the form of cryptocurrency like BitCoin, Ethereum, Ripple, etc.

Cryptocurrency is becoming extremely popular in the online sports betting market, however, the classical method of debit and credit cards are still the most used payment method.

Bank Transfer

You can simply transact through your bank account. Many people use this method as it is simple, quick and does not have any hidden fee, usually. Bank transfers will rarely be declined by your bank and your money will be secure as long as you bet with a recommended and licensed betting site.

Debit and Credit Cards

Credit/debit cards are the most common method of payment used in Ghana when it comes to online betting. Almost every online sportsbook accepts card payments as a deposit method.

E-wallet

Skrill and Neteller are the most popular e-wallets in Ghana followed by PayPal. Almost every online betting platform in Ghana will have this facility available and has become a bettor’s favourite deposit method because of how easy and quick it is.

E-wallets allow for semi-anonymous payments that help to safeguard the privacy of the bettor’s account details.

Airtel and other tie-ups with online mobile platforms

Airtel has not only a phone service but also allows for payments through its banking facility. You can use Airtel by linking your account to the betting platform you wish to register on for quick and easy transfer of funds.

All you need to do is use the “Make Payment” feature to deposit money into your betting account through Airtel’s app.

Airtel is not the only platform that offers this service. Ghana also has MTN that has set up MTN Mobile Money while Vodafone has its own online payment system as well called Vodafone Cash. Tigo is another mobile service provider that has set up a payment system.

Prepaid cards

If you do not own or wish to use a credit card, you can opt for a prepaid card. Paysafecard is the most popular prepaid card in Ghana. You need to load it with funds and then can use the card to make a deposit into your betting account once you create one.

Cryptocurrency

Bitcoin is the most popular cryptocurrency in Ghana, however, most online betting sites that accept payments in cryptocurrency allow multiple currencies as a deposit method including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Ripple and many more.

Top Sports to Bet on in Ghana

As mentioned above, football and boxing are the most popular sports in Ghana but let’s take a look at a couple more sports that Ghanaians absolutely love to watch, play and bet on.

 

 

 

 

 

Football

Football is not only the most popular sport in Ghana to play and watch but also the most popular to bet on. Ghanaians spend most of their time betting on their local Ghana Premier League, followed by the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga and German Bundesliga.

Boxing

Boxing has a high number of viewers and participants in Ghana. People who love the sport tend to bet on the sport in the country and that is perfectly reflective through the number of bets placed on boxing in the nation.

Accra is known as the boxing capital of Africa so it is no surprise that betting on the sport is so massive.

Basketball

Basketball is continuously on the rise in Africa and is gaining rapid popularity for betting in Ghana as well. Ghanaians mainly bet on their local leagues, the Euro League, Olympic games and the NBA.

Judo

Judo may be the biggest at the time of the Olympics but in Ghana, it is one of the most loved sports. Ghanaians do not only enjoy watching judo but love to participate in the sport themselves, making it a prime market for bettors in the Land of Gold. The Ghana Judo Association is the biggest Judo body in the country, and it exists under the umbrella organization – the Africa Judo Union.

The Future of Online Betting in Ghana

Online betting in Ghana is continually on the rise. Since the major developments in 2006, there have been a few milestones in expanding the country’s online betting options. This is because Ghana’s betting industry is open and free.

Ghana will see an increased shift to online methods as it already is. Many land-based betting shops have seen a massive drop in business due to the pandemic and the advancement of mobile phone betting, marking a significant shift to online betting.

Online betting will continue to rise given the ease and convenience. The constant development of apps and websites along with massive investments by sportsbooks suggests that this will be the way of moving forward as well.

This may seem the complete end of brick and mortar betting shops in the near future.