The Chief Executive Officer of the Mental Health Authority (MHA), Eugene K. Dordoye, has warned that the growing obsession with betting among young people is developing into a serious public health concern, describing gambling addiction as a mental health disorder that could have far-reaching consequences for society.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily programme on Friday, May 22, Dr Dordoye said betting addiction shares characteristics with other behavioural disorders, particularly when individuals continue engaging in gambling activities despite suffering financial, emotional and psychological harm.
According to him, one of the clearest signs of addiction is the tendency of gamblers to continue betting in an attempt to recover money they have already lost.
“Those who bet believe they are chasing their losses and that is one cardinal symptom for addiction. Once you realise that you are chasing your losses, that is a problem,” he said.
Dr Dordoye expressed concern over what he described as the dangerous illusion being created around sports betting and gambling, particularly among young people who increasingly view betting as a shortcut to financial success.
“When people begin to bet hoping that they are going to reap in money, that is obviously a delusion, and that is a sickness. Because there's nobody who wins bets and becomes rich,” he added.
The Mental Health Authority boss warned that the increasing normalisation of betting among students at both senior high school and tertiary levels should be treated as a national concern requiring urgent intervention.
He noted that gambling activities were no longer limited to adults, with many young people becoming deeply involved in betting at an early age, often without fully understanding the long-term psychological and financial consequences.
“We have students in the university betting, we have high school students betting. It is that serious. It's quite unfortunate we are not really looking into it, but as a people, that is a time bomb,” he warned.
Dr Dordoye’s comments come amid growing public debate over the rapid expansion of sports betting platforms and online gambling services across Ghana, particularly among the youth population.
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