Ghana’s iGaming industry is grappling with surges in fraud-related challenges, even as the broader African market makes strides in reducing fraud. Recent findings from Sumsub, a full-cycle verification platform, indicate that Ghana has seen one of the sharpest rises in fraud activity over the past year, highlighting the urgent need for advanced verification and compliance measures.
The data reveals a concerning trend: the identity fraud rate in Ghana climbed to 3.94% in Q2 2025, nearly double the continental average of 2.27%. The iGaming sector is particularly affected, with fraud more than doubling from 2.33% in Q2 2024 to 5.76% in Q2 2025. This alarming increase contrasts sharply with the overall decline in Africa’s iGaming sector, which saw a 14.7% reduction in fraud over the past two years.
“Ghana’s numbers show a different trajectory from the continent. While Africa has demonstrated that investment in robust verification reduces fraud without hampering growth, Ghana’s experience highlights the consequences of fraudsters outpacing compliance systems. This is a wake-up call for operators to adopt AI-driven solutions and continuous monitoring.” Hannes Bezuidenhout, VP of Sales for Africa at Sumsub, noted
Globally, fraud is on the rise. According to Sumsub’s State of Identity Verification in the iGaming Industry 2025 report, identity fraud in the sector nearly doubled worldwide, increasing from 0.70% in 2023 to 1.39% in early 2025. More than 82% of surveyed iGaming operators reported an uptick in fraud attempts. Latin America experienced the steepest increase, with fraud rising by almost 32%, while established markets in Europe and North America also reported steady gains.
In contrast, Africa has bucked this trend. Fraud across the continent has declined as operators implement stronger verification processes and invest in compliance technology. However, fraud rates in Africa remain relatively high at 2.55% in 2025, with only the Asia-Pacific region showing higher rates, exceeding 3% of all verification attempts. The continent’s verification passes rate stands at 68.98%, trailing behind the global average of 80-90%.
Richy Emah, Regional Business Development Director for North and West Africa at Sumsub, states, “Verification is both Africa’s strength and challenge. Although progress is evident, the gap in pass rates compared to mature markets indicates that players still face friction, risking lost revenue for operators. Ghana’s fraud dynamics demonstrate the urgent need for seamless, secure, and locally adapted verification processes.”
The iGaming 2025 Report highlights new patterns in fraud:
- Off-Hours Activity: Fraud attempts spike during off-hours, particularly between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m., when compliance coverage is low.
- Post-Registration Fraud: More fraud is occurring beyond the registration phase, with 41.9% of operators reporting that the deposit stage experiences the highest levels of attack.
- AI-Powered Fraud: Fraud methods, including deepfakes, rose by 700% globally between 2024 and 2025, raising the stakes for operators.
To combat these threats, the report advocates for continuous verification throughout the player journey, including deposits and withdrawals, rather than just at sign-up. Innovations like non-document verification and reusable KYC are also reducing onboarding times now averaging just 25 seconds globally, while enhancing fraud resistance.
Across Africa, governments are tightening regulations to combat fraud in iGaming. For instance, South Africa’s Travel Rule mandates stricter data collection for crypto transactions, while Nigeria’s NLRC has intensified oversight of unlicensed platforms. Kenya is also working to integrate betting operators with national ID databases.
In Ghana, the sharp rise in fraud puts pressure on both regulators and operators. As the market expands, establishing stronger frameworks will be essential to protect players, revenues, and the industry’s long-term reputation.
The State of Identity Verification in the iGaming Industry 2025 Report, along with exclusive findings from Sumsub, suggests that Ghana, like the rest of Africa, must leverage technology-driven compliance to stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated fraud.
“Operators in Ghana face a choice,” cautions Richy Emah. “They can either continue to absorb rising fraud losses or invest now in AI-powered fraud prevention systems that will protect their platforms and create smoother experiences for genuine players. The future of iGaming in Ghana depends on it.”
