{"id":3818,"date":"2025-06-10T08:32:08","date_gmt":"2025-06-10T11:32:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/?p=3818"},"modified":"2026-04-19T16:25:47","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T19:25:47","slug":"underage-gambling-in-ghana-mental-health-expert-calls-for-early-intervention","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/underage-gambling-in-ghana-mental-health-expert-calls-for-early-intervention","title":{"rendered":"Underage gambling in Ghana: Mental health expert calls for early intervention"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The licensed counsellor said the solution lies in early intervention, mental health education and a strong support network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Ghana.- As Ghana\u2019s online betting boom shows no signs of slowing, a leading mental health professional is calling for urgent action to protect the country\u2019s youth from falling into the grip of gambling addiction<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Errama Arkhurst<\/strong>, a licensed counsellor and member of the American Counselling Association<\/strong>, has stepped into the spotlight with a bold call to arms. She\u2019s urging government, educators, families and the gambling industry to band together in creating a safer space for youngsters who have taken to betting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe need to educate our youth about the risks of gambling addiction, provide support for those struggling with addiction, and make sure the gambling industry takes a responsible role in promoting responsible practices,\u201d Arkhurst told the Daily Guide Network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She said the solution lies in early intervention, mental health education and a strong support network to help youth make informed choices. Her message is clear: addiction is a mental health issue, and it\u2019s time to treat it as such.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arkhurst isn\u2019t calling for a ban on betting. Instead, she\u2019s championing smarter, safer gaming<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about creating a culture where fun doesn\u2019t come at the cost of a future,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The convenience of mobile apps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Online betting has exploded in popularity across Ghana, particularly among young people, with the convenience of mobile apps<\/strong>. But Arkhurst warns that behind the flashing lights and instant wins lies a darker reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn recent years, Ghana has witnessed a concern in gambling addiction among its youth, sparking concern among families, educational institutions and mental health professionals,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She said easy access to gambling platforms<\/strong>, peer pressure, and a lack of understanding about the long-term consequences were fuelling a troubling trend. And while gambling might be marketed as entertainment, Arkhurst believes the stakes are far higher than most underage players<\/strong> realise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the industry growing rapidly, the question now is: will Ghanaian decision makers listen and help with early childhood interventions?<\/p>\n\n\n

\n\t\t\tSee also:<\/span><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tSee also:<\/span> Ghana’s DACF boss warns against excessive betting for income<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The licensed counsellor said the solution lies in early intervention, mental health education and a strong support network.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2396,"featured_media":3821,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"is_press_release":false,"is_interview":false,"is_opinion":false,"focusai_summary":"A leading mental health professional in Ghana, Errama Arkhurst, is urging stakeholders including government, educators, families, and the gambling industry to collaborate on safeguarding youth from escalating gambling addiction. Citing the boom in mobile online betting, Arkhurst advocates for early intervention, comprehensive mental health education, and robust support networks to foster smarter, safer gaming practices rather than a ban. This initiative highlights growing concerns over responsible gambling and potential regulatory responses in the rapidly expanding Ghanaian iGaming market.","focusai_entities":"Errama Arkhurst, American Counselling Association, Daily Guide Network","focusai_location":"Ghana","focusai_target_profile":"ceo_executive (0.9), regulator (1.0), compliance_legal (0.9), operator_casino (0.9), affiliate_publisher (0.7), product_ux (0.7), marketing_crm (0.8), investor_analyst (0.8), supplier_vendor (0.7), journalist_researcher (0.9)","focusai_suggestions":[{"label":"Regulatory Response Timeline","query":"What specific legislative or regulatory amendments are Ghanaian authorities considering to address youth gambling addiction, and what is the projected timeline for their implementation and enforcement?"},{"label":"Operator Compliance Impact","query":"How will B2C operators in Ghana be required to adapt their responsible gambling frameworks, age verification protocols, and marketing strategies to comply with potential new mandates and avoid sanctions?"}],"footnotes":""},"categories":[60020,60012],"tags":[60171],"class_list":["post-3818","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-legislation-news","category-west-africa","tag-gambling-addiction"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3818","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2396"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3818"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3818\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3831,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3818\/revisions\/3831"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3821"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3818"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3818"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3818"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}