GFA declares war on ‘criminal’ betting companies

The Ghana Football Association has declared war on betting companies which are benefitting from their products and offering nothing in return.

Prosper Harrison Addo, the General Secretary of the FA has warned the companies to expect an onslaught from his outfit in the coming weeks.

Speaking in an interview with Asempa FM, Harrison Addo said that the FA has identified those companies and will institute legal proceedings against them.

He revealed that the GFA has tried without success to get the companies to secure a license to have the Ghana Premier League and other GFA products on their platforms.

He expressed disappointment in the Gaming Commission to effectively deal with those companies.

“Some betting companies have turned themselves into criminals and stealing from us. You can’t come to this country and take our products and bet on it, we are going to attack them heavily in the coming weeks.

“We shall take the law into our own hands and take them on because the gaming commission is sleeping in Ghana. We ask you to come and take a license so that the teams you bet on will get something, and you refuse, we shall come together with the clubs and directly attack them, even if it requires taking their chairs, and computers to ensure they do the right thing”, he added.

Last year, the GFA issued a statement that it has ordered its lawyers to take legal action against betting companies which offered odds on the Ghana Premier League.

The GFA told the companies to stay away from the league and any of its products.

"The GFA has not authorised any betting company to place betting on the Premier League or any of its products," the statement said.

"The GFA, in exercising its exclusive right as the owner, organiser, controller and manager of the Ghana Premier League, wishes to caution all betting companies to desist from placing odds on Ghana Premier League matches without the necessary authorisation from the GFA".