The Gaming Commission of Ghana has sensitised school children within La Dade Kotopon and Teshie enclave on the negative effects of gambling and laws prohibiting minors from engaging it.
The exercise was carried out for over 4, 000 pupils from across schools within La and Teshie enclaves for three weeks to whip up their interest in education while demystifying the notion that gambling was the path to success.
The last week of the sensitisation exercise saw pupils from Teshie LEKMA “5” and Teshie Salem Presby Junior High Schools discuss how to plan their careers and the laws banning children under 18 years from gambling.
Though the Gaming Commission had banned slot machines in December 2021, the slot machines including jackpots and soccer table continue to infiltrate the communities promoting child delinquency.
Philomina Gemfi, Clients Service Officer, Gaming Commission of Ghana, who had engaged the pupils noted that most of the minors found neck-rooted in gambling, especially betting were influenced by their elderly peers and families.
“Their quest for money is insatiable and it is quite bizarre. They want to make quick money and live luxury lives. They use these monies to support their families and buy some personal needs for themselves,” she said.
The Client Service Officer in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said, gambling would create emotional effect, sense of hopelessness, a state of anxiety and depression for the children.
“We are pleading with parents, families, teachers, police and the public to support the Gaming Commission to educate the children to desist from gambling. The public can reach out to the Commission on 0274698935. We have monitoring officers going round and picking up all the slot machines,” she said.
Madam Gemfi cautioned some port officials conniving with some importers, mostly foreign nationals to import the jackpot machines into the country and disregarding the moratorium placed the machines.
The Gaming Act, 2006 (Act 721), section 48 said: “A person responsible for a gaming machine shall not permit a child to use the gaming machine or enter a place where the gaming machine is operated.”
Section 56(2)(3) states that “A person who permits a child to use a gaming machine or enter a place in which a gaming machine is used commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not more than two hundred and fifty penalty units or serve a term of imprisonment of not more than twelve months or both.”
Sub-section (3) also said: “A child who uses a gaming machine, or enter a place in which a machine is used, commit an offence and liable on summary conviction by juvenile court to a fine of not more than one hundred penalty units or a custodial sentence that the court determines.”
Mr Yakubu Abdul – Jalil, Assistant Officer, Inspection, Investigation, Compliance and Enforcement (IICE) Directorate, urged the children to eschew gambling since it would lead them into debt, criminal activities, suicidal tendencies and being a school drop-out
GNA