Kurt Edwin Simeon Okraku, President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), has taken a firm stance against illegal betting activities surrounding the Ghana Premier League, the nation’s top-tier football competition. Okraku emphasized that no betting company is currently licensed to offer odds on Ghana’s football matches and warned that the GFA would pursue legal action against any companies engaging in unauthorized betting.
Betting has become common in Ghana in recent years with many young people who are unemployed depending on it as a source of income, earning the nickname ‘Investment’.
Speaking at the 30th Ordinary Congress of the GFA, Okraku acknowledged the significant role that betting companies play globally in supporting football development. However, he expressed strong disapproval of companies that exploit Ghanaian football without proper authorization, vowing to take decisive action to protect the integrity of the sport.
“No betting company in Ghana has been licensed by the GFA to take odds on our games,” Okraku declared. “We are going to empower our legal department to confront this issue head-on. It is not okay for betting companies to continuously feed on our football without consultations.”
Okraku also signaled the GFA’s openness to forming legitimate partnerships with betting companies, emphasizing that the association is willing to collaborate with businesses that operate within legal boundaries. “Saying no now means we are also open to business with betting companies the legal way. We want to invite serious betting companies to come and sit down with us and become partners,” he stated.
