Gaming Commission Ghana seizes over 50 illegal jackpot machines in Accra

Over 50 analogue gaming machines popularly known as jackpot machines have been seized by the Gaming Commission of Ghana.

The commission in 2018 issued a notice to all gaming operators about its intention to phase out all analogue machines popularly known as jackpots machines within the gaming landscape in Ghana.

As such, in 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 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 a customer’s 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 which allows only people aged 18 years and above to 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 is to regularize their operations so that they don’t operate these analogue machines which as 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”.

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