Video Game Commission will sanction non-compliant game operators | General news

The Ghana Gaming Commission (GCG) has announced that it is ready to punish all players in the gaming sector who have not complied with the Government's Gaming Act of 721, established in 2006.

The move would affect casino operators, sports betting, route operations (slot machines), import and installation of gaming equipment, promotional games (games of chance), cards to scratch and bingo games.

The Commission is also interested in electronic sports, mobile games and online games.

This was revealed at a stakeholder meeting organized by the Commission on "The new phase of gaming regulation in Ghana" on Friday in Accra.

The Commission, a gaming agency control agency, also used the platform to unveil its new logo, consisting of the "Roulette Wheel" used in casino games, a "Tag Line" of the Commission, which has alerted operators to protect vulnerable bettors including the game of minors.

The logo also contained an illustration of a recreational game, sports betting and operations on the routes, as well as a representative of other games of chance.

Peter Mireku, Commissioner of Gambling, said the Commission is seeking to modernize and clean up the sector's operations.

It would, for example, implement initiatives and programs to improve the regulation of gaming and create an environment conducive to the growth of legitimate businesses, he said.

Mr Mireku said that among the activities that the Commission will undertake this year are the following: to review the current Games Act, to launch a comprehensive study of the game environment and to publish the latest opinion on the migration of gambling. badog gaming machines to digital games.

Others would be tasked with setting up a central monitoring system, streamlining the gaming licensing process and facilitating the replacement of value-added tax (VAT) with a tax on gross gaming revenue casinos.

The Gambling Commissioner said that the issue of VAT collection on casino operations by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) was a matter of major concern.

After deliberating with the GRA, said Mireku, the Commission suggested agreeing a tax on casino games' gross revenues to solve the problem.

The Commission has also obtained new licenses for its activities to crack down on illegal activities and limit revenue leaks, as the license has advanced security features to discourage duplication, he said.

Ms. Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, chief of staff of the institutions, guest of honor, said that the game industry had the ability to contribute to economic development.

She added that the government was therefore interested in the Commission's initiative to re-examine the gaming industry.

She badured them that the government would support the sector and urged them to adopt best practices to improve its progress.

Osei-Opare said the government would consider revising the taxes imposed on operators in the sector, saying: "To the extent that the government wishes to generate revenue for the state, it must create a favorable business environment for industry players can: comply with this. Otherwise, it could lead to illegal clandestine activities that would be of no help. "

Ambrose Dery, Minister of the Interior in a speech on his behalf, said that responsible gambling protects vulnerable people and prevents people from becoming drug addicts.

He called on industry players to prevent minors from playing games in all their forms.

He asked the Commission to establish harsh punitive measures against illegal operators as well as those who did not comply with the requirements of the Gaming Act and the standards of the commission.

Mr. Kobby Annan, Deputy Commissioner of the GCG, stated that there were 22 casinos, 30 sports betting centers, 14 touring establishments and authorized promotional gaming centers in the country.

"By acting illegal and offshore bets," he said, the commission was working with state security agencies to reduce the threat.

He called on telecommunication companies and financial institutions to liaise with the Commission before incorporating mobile money platforms for earnings through financial institutions.

Mr. Patrick Kwakye, the Commission's compliance officer, advised casino operators to appoint anti-money laundering officers to oversee casino operations to maintain the integrity of the industry.

He asked new candidates and industry players to fill out anti-money laundering forms with the Commission and advised them to ask their clients for identity cards before dealing with them.