Betting with Burglary: New Research Links Sports Betting Shops to Rising Crime in Ghana—Researchers Sound Alarm

A groundbreaking study published in the Journal of Gambling Studies has issued a stark warning about the hidden costs of Ghana's booming sports betting industry: a surge in property crimes in neighborhoods surrounding betting shops. The study, titled “The Impact of Sports Betting Shops on Crime Patterns in Ghana” and authored by Florence Akosua Gyambibi and Michael Appiah-Kubi, paints a troubling picture of how gambling establishments may be quietly fueling local crime.

The research, which combines geo-referenced data from the Ghana Gaming Commission and Afrobarometer survey data across 156 communities, reveals that simply living closer to a sports betting shop significantly increases one's chances of becoming a crime victim—particularly burglary and theft. The authors found that doubling the distance from a betting shop leads to a 5.5 percentage point drop in burglary risk. On the flip side, the closer you are to a betting outlet, the more exposed you are to property crimes.

Betting Shops: Crime Magnets in the Community

The findings are more than a statistical observation; they tell a powerful story of how sports betting shops alter neighborhood safety dynamics. The research shows that these establishments attract cash-carrying individuals (suitable targets), lack adequate security measures (absent guardians), and tend to be located in economically vulnerable communities—creating perfect conditions for opportunistic criminals.

While some might expect violent crime to rise alongside gambling activity, the study notes that this is not the case. Instead, crimes near betting shops are usually property-related and opportunistic rather than gambling-motivated. In fact, the proximity to a betting shop had no statistically significant effect on physical assaults.

"The pattern of increased property crime—rather than violent crime—suggests these are crimes of opportunity created by environmental vulnerabilities, not acts of desperation by compulsive gamblers,” the authors explain.

Weak Regulation, Strong Consequences

Despite regulations under Ghana’s Gaming Act (Act 721, as amended in 2016), enforcement remains woefully inadequate. The study notes that while licensed betting operators are required to implement anti-money laundering protocols and age restrictions, oversight has lagged behind the explosive growth of the betting industry, which contributed over GHS 450 million in taxes between 2019 and 2022.

Yet the regulatory regime has failed to account for spatial planning—leaving betting shops sprinkled across neighborhoods with little regard for community impact.

“Betting operators may be strategically choosing locations with lower initial crime rates, but once established, their presence erodes the safety of those neighborhoods,” warns Appiah-Kubi, co-author and Director at MAFLO African Urban Research Center.

The Community Effect: Broken Bonds, Broken Locks

The research further reveals a tragic irony: even in communities with strong social cohesion, proximity to betting shops still escalates crime. However, such communities—where residents actively monitor each other’s homes—do manage to buffer the worst effects.

For communities lacking these social bonds, the impact is stark. Betting shops aggravate what the researchers term “social disorganization,” breaking down informal social controls that help deter crime. The study’s authors warn that betting shops may “introduce non-resident visitors and alter patterns of public space usage,” weakening neighborhood watchfulness.

A Call to Action: Redesigning Policy to Protect Communities

Gyambibi and Appiah-Kubi’s research is not just a critique—it’s a call to action. They urge Ghanaian authorities to implement zoning laws that restrict betting shops to specific commercial areas, increase licensing conditions for security and surveillance, and actively engage local communities in oversight.

“Urban planning must now consider the criminogenic effects of these establishments,” the study concludes. “The government cannot continue to treat betting shops as harmless entertainment venues while ignoring their ripple effects on public safety.”

Where Are the Regulators?

The Ghana Gaming Commission and Ministry of Interior have so far remained largely silent on the implications of this research. Civil society groups, including the Ghana Anti-Gambling Coalition, have repeatedly called for tighter regulation, but enforcement remains sluggish. Without decisive action, experts warn that the country’s youth—especially in economically fragile areas—will continue to be doubly victimized: first by the lure of risky gambling and then by rising crime in their neighborhoods.

The time for reactive regulation has passed. The evidence is in. If Ghanaian authorities fail to act on this comprehensive and data-backed research, they will have effectively sanctioned a quiet epidemic of community-level insecurity.

Source: “The Impact of Sports Betting Shops on Crime Patterns in Ghana,” Journal of Gambling Studies (2025), by Florence Akosua Gyambibi and Michael Appiah-Kubi.