Towards Stronger Gambling Regulation in Ghana: A Critical Frame Analysis of Ghana Gaming Act

Ghana enacted the Gaming Act (Act 721) in 2006 to formalise and liberalise the gambling market. Ghana's gambling landscape has evolved substantially since the enactment of the Act. The gambling market has expanded, and gambling has become a common pastime activity in Ghana. This article examines how Ghana's legal framework may be contributing to the rise in gambling behaviour and related harms in Ghana. Specifically, this study explores how gambling problems and solutions are framed and how these influence commercial gambling industry activity as a vector of gambling behaviour and harms. The analysis identified consumer protection and elimination of illegal elements as the main frames associated with the 'problem'. The solutions provided in the Act were mostly aligned with two frames: consumer protection and liberalisation or formalisation of the market. These frames are typically aligned with the responsible gambling framing and centre on the individual without adequate levers for effective public health response to gambling and gambling-related harms. Ghana's Gaming Act is no longer fit for purpose. There is an urgent need to review and strengthen the Act with an explicit focus on public health principles and approaches to protect the citizens from these harmful products and industries.