Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Okraku has pledged to address the issue of illegal betting companies exploiting Ghana Premier League fixtures for their business.
Okraku’s commitment comes amid growing concerns over unauthorised betting websites offering odds on Ghanaian football competitions.
Speaking at the ongoing 30th Ordinary Conference at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence on Tuesday, August 27, 2024, Okraku emphasized that no betting company has been licensed to offer odds on GFA-sanctioned games.
He outlined plans to empower the GFA’s legal department to tackle the issue decisively.
“We have not licensed any betting company to take odds on our games. We are going to empower our legal department to confront this issue head-on. It is not okay for a betting company to feed on our football. It is time to say no to such companies,” Okraku stated. He added that the GFA is open to legitimate partnerships and will invite companies interested in official collaborations to engage with them.
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The move follows scrutiny of match outcomes and betting odds that have raised questions about potential match-fixing, exemplified by the AshGold-Inter Allies match-manipulation scandal. This controversy led to AshGold’s demotion to the Division Two League and a subsequent banishment due to non-compliance with penalties.
Okraku’s stance aims to safeguard the integrity of Ghanaian football and ensure that betting activities are conducted within the bounds of legality and transparency.
