From Betting Slips to Balance Sheets: Ghana’s Journalists Called to Rescue Youth from Betting Addiction

Across Ghana’s cities, from Accra’s bustling streets to campus corridors, young people are ensnared in the allure of sports betting. Whether standing in crowded betting shops or tapping away silently on mobile apps, they chase quick wins in a high stakes game where most come away with losses.

The Human and Social Cost
This is not just about lost cedis. Betting addiction is ripping through lives. A disturbing number of young people steal from employers, families, or even schools to fuel their habit.
There are documented cases of a 19-year old who embezzled over GH₵1 million, another who stole GH₵139,000 and received a 15-year prison sentence, and an accountant jailed after misappropriating GH₵40,000 to bet.

Underage Gambling on the Rise
Underage betting remains pervasive despite legal restrictions. Studies show over 40 percent of bettors sampled were under 18, with some as young as 10 to 13 years old actively gambling. These youth face truancy, poor grades, strained relationships, and emotional instability.

A Public Health and Economic Emergency
The social and health fallout is immense. In Ghana, more than 9 percent of the population has been involved in betting in recent years, contributing to an erosion of household budgets, rising malnutrition, and growing mental health issues like anxiety and depression. Economists describe betting addiction as a public health and economic emergency, especially among unemployed youth hoping for easy returns.

Successive governments have struggled to respond to the crisis. The previous administration attempted to introduce a levy on betting winnings, targeting bonuses to curb the spread of gambling while raising revenue. But the policy sparked criticism from its opponents, who are now in power, arguing it unfairly punished ordinary young people. The debate exposed a political dilemma: how to regulate an industry that has become both lucrative and socially corrosive.

Meanwhile, betting companies continue to spread aggressively across the country. They sponsor football clubs, music concerts, and community events, positioning themselves as key players in youth culture. Their logos are emblazoned on billboards and jerseys, creating a sense of legitimacy and normalizing betting as part of everyday life. The sheer visibility of these companies makes it even harder to turn young people’s attention toward long term financial planning and investing.

Media Called to Lead the Fight
At a Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) training workshop for members of the Institute of Financial and Economic Journalists (IFEJ), the Chief Executive Officer of First Banc Brokerage, Edem Akpenyo, issued a challenge to the media. He urged journalists to harness the same appeal of betting stories and flashy advertisements and channel that energy into financial storytelling that highlights investing as a path to dignity and security.

Turning Odds into Ownership
Mr Akpenyo explained that Ghana’s youth are not just gamblers, they are potential investors and wealth creators. What they frequently spend on betting slips could instead be directed into shares, mutual funds, or entrepreneurial ventures. Journalists, he said, have the tools to make this shift possible by simplifying complex financial reports, drawing on company earnings, sustainability disclosures, and management updates to craft stories that resonate with the public.

Storytelling as a Tool for Change
According to him, data driven storytelling using infographics, relatable comparisons, and context from macroeconomic issues like inflation or cedi depreciation can make investing feel as accessible as betting odds. “If betting becomes the most familiar financial habit for our youth, we risk raising a generation tuned to odds instead of ownership. Journalists must pivot that to help youth trade betting slips for portfolios,” he warned.

The Future at Stake
The role of the media has never been more urgent. Reporting can either normalize betting or spotlight investing as the more sustainable path. The future of Ghana’s capital markets, and perhaps the country’s broader economic future, may depend on whether journalists rise to the challenge.

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