Gaming Commission Ghana Confiscates Over 50 Illegal Jackpot Machines In Accra

Over 50 analogue gaming machines, popularly known as jackpot machines, have been confiscated by the Gaming Commission of Ghana.The commission in 2018 issued a notice to all gaming operators on its intention to phase out all analogue machines, within the gaming landscape in Ghana. As such, in the January 2022, the

commission totally banned the operation of jackpots in the gaming terrain. This forms part of efforts by the commission to protect minors from gaming, curb the incidence of exploiting the vulnerable, and help operators to streamline their activities towards the adoption of conventional digital machines of

international standards.In a field operation on March 29, 2022, the Head of Public Affairs at the commission, Beatrice Baiden cautioned Ghanaians to desist from operating illegal jackpot machines since it puts minors at high risk. She added that the commission is on high alert to phase out these machines. The Gaming

Commission wants to reiterate the fact that minors are not supposed to get close to any of these gaming machines, let alone to engage in any such gaming activities as stipulated in the Gaming Act 2006. We cannot work alone as an organization, we rely on public tips a lot, and so we will actually appeal to the general

public to inform us when they come across some of these machines being operated within their jurisdictions. Let’s not forget that these machines do not come into the country in this state, they are actually assembled here by our local artisans, who are normally carpenters. The illegal jackpots, which are mostly

owned by Chinese nationals, usually have Ghanaians operating them on their behalf. The AML Act 2020 requires all gaming operators to take steps to identify and verify customer identity for all cash transactions. As such, Beatrice Baiden indicated that the ban is part of efforts to upgrade the industry to meet international

standards and best practices where only over 18 year olds can engage in gaming. So we’ve actually engaged these stakeholders, and we’ve given them the requirement for the new gaming machines that are permissible in the country, and we’ve given them the standards which are required internationally. And so, if we seize the machines and call them to come to our

office, it’s to regularize their operations so that they don’t operate these analogue machines which are looking at their portable nature and the fact that they are often exposed to minors. So when stakeholders come we take them through the process and give them the mechanisms, and also the standards for the digital machines that are permissible.