A betting operator in Ghana has been ordered by a High Court to refund GH¢364,000 to Gafat Consult Ltd after the company successfully sued over unauthorized gambling transactions linked to one of its employees. The ruling followed a case involving Benjamin Boateng, an employee of Gafat Consult Ltd, who allegedly used an official corporate mobile money account to engage in gambling activities on the operator’s platform.
The company later filed a complaint with the Gaming Commission of Ghana, seeking recovery of the funds used. The court held that the betting operator failed to comply with proper Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures and regulatory verification requirements. It noted that, had adequate checks been conducted as required, the operator would have identified that the MTN mobile number used to register and transact on the platform was a corporate line.
This, the court stated, should have prompted further investigation to determine whether the individual was an authorized representative of the company, such as a director or secretary, as indicated in regulatory documents submitted by the Gaming Commission.
The court specifically stated: “If they had done their verification well by undertaking a proper Know Your Customer (KYC) procedure, they would have found that the MTN Mobile number used by Mr. Boateng in signing up on their betting platform was a corporate mobile number and would also have conducted further checks to verify whether Mr. Boateng was a director or secretary of GAFAT or not as stated in Exhibit G by the regulator Gaming Commission.”
Based on these findings, the court ruled that the betting operator failed to observe the regulatory guidelines governing its operations under the Gaming Commission of Ghana. It therefore ordered the operator to refund GH¢364,000 to Gafat Consult Ltd. In addition, the court directed that interest be paid on the GH¢364,000 from August 2022 until the date of full and final payment.
The case adds to a series of incidents in Ghana involving employees misusing company funds for gambling purposes. In a similar matter, an accountant was sentenced to two years in prison after being found guilty of stealing GH¢40,433.50 from the Ghana Police Church.
According to GNA reports, the convict, Edward Unicorn, pleaded guilty to charges of stealing before the Adenta Circuit Court. He was ordered to refund GH¢5,000 and GH¢2,775 respectively, amounts recovered from him and returned to the Ghana Police Church.
In another unrelated case, the Sales and Marketing Manager of DPS Industries Limited was reportedly taken before the Dansoman Circuit Court for allegedly diverting company funds into online sports betting. Graphic Online reported that court documents indicated the suspect, Depak Sonar, was accused of misappropriating GH¢681,000 belonging to the company.
It was further alleged that GH¢491,000 of the amount was used for betting activities, while the remaining GH¢190,000 was used to settle personal debts. Separately, concerns around gambling addiction continue to draw public attention in Ghana.
A viral video previously featured a young man speaking about his struggles with gambling addiction, explaining that his impulsive betting behavior had severely affected his finances and strained his relationships with family members. Social media users reacted with mixed opinions, with many acknowledging the challenges he described after he expressed a desire to stop but admitted difficulty in breaking the habit.
