Mr. Godfred Yeboah Dame, the Attorney General, has urged gaming operators to deploy procedures and technology to detect money laundering activities and hacking of devices.
That, he explained, would ensure that the systems on which the gaming world relied on did not become a vehicle for organized crime.
The Attorney General said this on Thursday at the African Lottery Association Seminar in Accra on the theme of “responsible gaming.”
The seminar provides a platform for a discussion of the fundamentals of responsible gaming and the development, evaluation, and sustainability of gaming programs for relevant stakeholders in the sector.
He said the responsible gaming industry offered protection for the personal data and financial details of the players, adding that reliable gaming software must be created for players to safely deposit, transfer, and withdraw money.
Mr. Dame called for the creation of a secure environment that ensured that operators developed a system of controls and mechanisms for players to have fun in a safe gaming space.
He urged stakeholders to comply with relevant regulatory advertising codes to ensure that advertisements did not infringe the law and target the underage and the vulnerable in society.
Mr. Dame advised operators to enforce a rigorous registration process and institute measures to bar access to apps and programmes for minors.
He said the National Lottery Authority (NLA) had embraced innovation in line with international best management practices and contributed to government revenue and employment generation.
Mr. Alex Dadey, Executive Chairman, KLG Group, called for the need to employ self-exclusion programmes and limit the amount of money and time players could spend playing lottery on digital platforms.
That, he said, would address and mitigate the effect of problematic gambling in the system.
He called for a collective decision towards making gaming responsible by creating a secure environment for players to have fun and called for partnership to address challenges in the gaming industry.
Mr. Samuel Awuku, Director General, NLA, said the seminar would discuss issues relating to the elimination of illegal gaming activities that affected revenue mobilization.
He said the country had signed an agreement with Nigeria and the Ivory Coast to export Ghana’s 590 games to the countries for revenue generation.
“With the collaboration among the two countries, Ghana is expecting a total amount of GHS30 million in 2023 as royalties for the cost of the licensing and revenue,” he said.
Ms. Rebecca Paul, President, World Lottery Association, commended Ghana for hosting the seminar and urged participants to share experiences to better the gaming industry.
