This article is a complete guide to gambling in Ghana. It informs about the current gambling legislation, the different forms of gambling in Ghana, and where you can gamble.
Ghana permits various types of gambling and is home to several land-based casinos, lotteries, casino gambling and sports betting. Check out more information as it pertains to this below.
Types of Gambling in Ghana
- Lotteries: The lottery is a popular form of gambling. Ghana has its own weekly national lottery draws. Anyone can also buy a ticket for the world's largest lotteries online.
- Sports Betting: Sports betting is very popular in Ghana with football the sport of choice to bet on. Sportsbooks allow Ghanaians to bet in person. They also offer online betting platforms and take bets over the phone.
- Land-Based Casinos: At present, there are four casinos in Ghana. They are open to both Ghanaian residents and tourists alike. Ghana's capital of Accra has two casinos. There's also casinos in Tema and Kumasi. In land-based casinos in Ghana, you can play a variety of table and poker games, video poker, non-progressive and progressive jackpot slots.
- Online Gambling: Ghanaians get to enjoy gambling in online casinos, sportsbooks, bingo and poker sites.
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Gambling Legislation and Regulation in Ghana
Gambling is fully legal and regulated in Ghana and regulated by the Ghana Gaming Commission (GGC). The commission is the sole regulatory entity for the gambling industry in Ghana, excluding the lottery, which is run by the National Lottery Authority (NLA). Its responsibilities include the regulation, monitoring and supervision of games of chance in accordance with the Gaming Act 721 in 2006. Licensing for casino and sports betting operators is also handled by the GGC.
Click here to visit the official Ghana Gaming Commission website.
Land Based Casinos in Ghana
Gambling at traditional land-based casinos is not that popular in Ghana. At present, Ghana is home to four brick-and-mortar casinos, which are mostly open in the evenings, although you'll find that slot machines in casinos will be available to play prior to the table games.
La Palm Casino, which opened in 2003, is located at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra. The casino opens at noon daily and is home to many slot and roulette machines, traditional table games like roulette, blackjack, baccarat and poker tables, and there are sports betting booths with computers to place wagers on the Internet. This is in partnership with international sportsbook Ladbrokes.
The second casino gambling establishment in the capital Accra is the Millionaires Casino, which is situated in the Golden Tulip Hotel. The casino is open daily from 8pm and is home to around 50 gaming machines, blackjack and roulette tables, and 2 poker tables.
The Golden Tulip Hotel in Kumasi is a 4-star business hotel. Within the hotel complex is the Millionaires Casino. Once you arrive, you should head straight to the casino which opens daily at 3pm and offers jackpot slots, video poker machines and table games.
The Golden Dragon Casino in Tema, is Ghana's fourth casino. It's located within the Prince Hotel and opens at noon daily. Here you can choose from a selection of 38 coinless video slot machines to play, including progressive jackpot slots, as well as 8 gaming tables offering American Roulette, Blackjack, 3 Card Poker and Casino Hold'em among others.
If you're looking to play poker at a land-based casino, you should call the casino prior to arriving to make sure that the poker game you want to play is running. If not, players can opt to play at one of the online poker sites accepting Ghanaian players.
Lotteries in Ghana
Ghana has its own lottery to generate revenue for the socially disadvantaged in the country. It also serves the purpose of raising revenue for the nation and other purposes in accordance with the National Lotto Act (722) passed in 2006. There is weekly national lottery draw on television and to play you need to pick 5 numbers between 1 and 90. The majority of retail shops sell lottery tickets.
The government of Ghana does not permit any lottery draws except national lottery games authorized by the National Lottery Authority (NLA). The NLA in in collaboration with the police for a number of years has made efforts to shut down illegal lotto outlets that were operating without a license.
Did you know that you can also buy lottery tickets for all the world's biggest lotteries online?
Online Casinos in Ghana
Gambling at online casinos is perfectly legal, although not that many Ghanaians gamble on the Internet due to the lack of affordability of computers and internet access.
With that being said, internet usage in Ghana is rapidly increasing, and more and more Ghanaians are gaining internet access. In 2009, it was estimated there were around a million internet users in the country. This has increased to around 4 million users, offering more Ghanaians the opportunity to participate in online casino gambling and sports betting to create an additional income.
Most online casinos accepting players from Ghana offer many different types of casino and poker games, including all the popular video slots, table and poker games like Texas Hold'em and Omaha. It is perfect for those who don't want to take the trip to one of the land-based casinos. Instead, you can play casino games from the comfort of your own home and with the click of a mouse button.
While there are many Ghana casinos that have been issued an online gaming license by the Gaming Commission to base themselves in Ghana, there are also many offshore online casinos accepting players in Ghana. Altough the game's currency you'll play with will typically either be Dollars, Euros or Pounds, you'll still be able to deposit and withdraw in Ghanaian Cedis.
In our Ghanaian online casinos section we recommend the best online casinos for real money casino gaming, so you can have the peace of mind of gambling in a safe and secure online casino environment. In fact, one of the favorite online casinos for Ghanaian players is 7 Sultans online casino, which is powered by the software provider Microgaming, and offers more than 500 casino games through its downloadable casino, instant play casino or its mobile casino.
Ghanaian gamblers at mobile-friendly online casinos will be able to enjoy the best of mobile gaming on the MTN Ghana network or any compatible mobile internet provider.
Sports Gambling in Ghana
Sports betting is legal in Ghana just like other forms of gambling. You'll find that there are several licensed brick-and-mortar sports betting venues regulated by the Ghana Gaming Commission that Ghanaians can walk into in order to place bets on a wide range of international and local sporting events.
Mybet.com, which is one of Europe's leading sports betting operators, has been on the scene in Ghana for some time now. In fact, it is the fastest growing sports betting company in Ghana. With sports betting really taking off in the country, the company has several outlets in the capital Accra, and has also opened sports betting branches in Kumasi, Ghana's second largest city.
Online Sports Betting in Ghana
While betting shops are still the most popular method for Ghanian sports bettors, many Ghanaians also use online sports betting sites which are legal to place wagers online and over the phone. Cheaper smartphones and increased internet usage in Ghana has no doubt had a lot to do with this.
One of the most popular sports betting sites in Ghana is Mybet.com, You can bet on the outcomes of a whole host of different sporting events, including football, baseball and tennis, just to name a few. Ghanaians are fanatical when it comes to watching and betting on European Football, but it made sense for operators like Mybet.com to open betting markets for the local Ghanaian Leagues.
A mobile sports betting product called Dreambet also launched in the Ghanaian market, allowing punters to place sports wagers on a single game or make multiple leg bets via SMS betting or using the interactive mobile app.
About Ghana
Ghana is a country located in Western Africa, with a population of approximately 27 million people. English is the official language in Ghana. It's a friendly country that welcomes tourists, although it's not overly commercialized. Neighbouring countries include the Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Togo.
