Ghana Online Casino Licence (Class 5): 2026 Full Guide
The Gaming Commission of Ghana issues the Ghana online casino licence (Class 5) for mobile and interactive gaming. This is the category that covers online casino-style games such as slots and table games. A dedicated casino product, the kind found in a physical venue, falls under Class 1 instead. This guide covers the class boundaries, the requirements, the costs, the timeline, and what the licence does not permit. For the wider regulatory framework, start with the Ghana gaming licence guide.
Key facts
- Regulator: Gaming Commission of Ghana, under the Ministry of the Interior
- Licence class: Class 5, mobile or interactive gaming, under the Gaming Act 2006 (Act 721)
- Local presence: locally incorporated company, at least one resident director, local partner holding at least 10% of shares
- Foreign capital: USD 500,000 minimum stated capital with GIPC (USD 200,000 with a local shareholder)
- Operator tax: 20% of gross gaming revenue; the 10% player withholding tax was repealed in April 2025
- Statutory decision limit: 12 months from application (2 to 3 months in practice)
What the Class 5 licence covers in Ghana
Class 5 is the mobile or interactive gaming class under the Gaming Act 2006 (Act 721). It is the licence that authorises online casino-style games. Slots, table games such as roulette and blackjack, and digital instant games all sit here, once they are delivered through a website or app. If your product is a browser-based or app-based casino, this is the class that applies. The Ghana interactive gaming licence and Class 5 refer to the same category, and operators sometimes use the terms interchangeably.
In short, a Ghana online casino licence is a Class 5 licence, whichever label your team uses internally.
The table below maps each Ghana gaming licence class to the product it covers. Read it before you decide which class or classes your business needs, because the categories are product-specific rather than general-purpose.
| Class | Product covered |
|---|---|
| Class 1 | Casino operations |
| Class 2 | Sports betting (land-based or online) |
| Class 3 | Route operations (gaming machines) |
| Class 4 | Promotional and remote gaming (bingo, raffles, virtual or digital promotions) |
| Class 5 | Mobile or interactive gaming |
In practice, an online slots or live-table site maps to Class 5. By contrast, a physical casino floor maps to Class 1, while a raffle or bingo promotion maps to Class 4. Therefore, getting the mapping right at the outset avoids a scope mismatch once the Gaming Commission of Ghana reviews your application.
Class 5, Class 1 and Class 2: where the boundaries sit
A dedicated casino operation, run from a physical premises, sits under Class 1. Online, interactive delivery of casino-style games sits under Class 5 instead. Online sports betting is a separate category again: Class 2, not Class 5, covers it, whether the betting happens online or at a shop counter.
So an operator running both online casino games and a sportsbook under one brand may need Class 5 and Class 2 together. Public guidance from the Commission does not fully explain how it licenses combined scope, so confirm the exact requirement before you apply. This is exactly the kind of scope question worth raising in a consultation before you apply for a Ghana online casino licence, rather than after.
No standalone B2B licence exists in Ghana for game studios or aggregators. Large content suppliers distribute their games through a licensed operator instead of holding a Ghana licence of their own. If you plan to bring in third-party content, confirm how the Commission expects supplier vetting to work for your arrangement. Practice can vary by supplier relationship.
Ghana online casino licence requirements
You need a locally incorporated limited liability company, at least one resident director, and a local Ghanaian partner holding at least 10% of issued shares. If a later share change makes the entity wholly foreign-owned, that change voids the licence. Keep that shareholding structure in view as the business grows.
The Ghana Investment Promotion Centre sets minimum stated capital at USD 500,000 for a wholly foreign-owned company. With a local shareholder on the register, that figure drops to USD 200,000. Learn how the Gaming Commission of Ghana works before you plan your capital structure, since GIPC capital and Commission capital are assessed separately.
Separately, the Commission sets a statutory minimum capital by company type for Class 5. For interactive gaming this is indicatively around USD 150,000, though you should confirm the current figure directly with the Commission before budgeting.
You will also need to prepare a set of core documents before you file. These include:
- Certificate of incorporation and certificate to commence business
- GIPC certificate and data protection certificate
- Tax clearance and directors’ passports or IDs
- Criminal clearance for each director
- Shareholders’ agreement and five-year financial projections
- Platform and game interface details
- AML/KYC policy and responsible-gaming plan
Every director goes through fit-and-proper vetting by the Bureau of National Investigations and the Criminal Investigation Department. A director who fails vetting can stall the whole application. Public guidance does not confirm a fixed window for replacing that person, so plan for a substitute candidate in advance. In broad terms, the path runs: pre-application checks, document preparation, submission, background checks and inspection, then issuance.
Class 5 licence cost and the full Ghana budget
The Class 5 application and licence fee is Commission-set, and it runs indicatively from USD 7,500 to 15,000. Confirm the exact figure against the current schedule under the Fees and Charges Act 2022 (Act 1080) and LI 2481 before you file. The table below sets out the full cost picture for a Ghana online casino licence, not just the licence fee.
| Cost item | Indicative amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Class 5 application/licence fee | USD 7,500-15,000 | Commission-set; confirm current schedule |
| Annual/renewal fee | USD 12,000-20,000 | Commission-set |
| Class 5 minimum capital | ~USD 150,000 | Commission-determined |
| GIPC stated capital | USD 500,000 (or 200,000) | Lower figure with local partner |
| Incorporation and registration | Varies | GIPC and data protection filings |
| Platform/RNG testing | Varies | Approved test lab, separate fee |
| Compliance, AML/KYC, legal | Varies | Ongoing operating cost |
| Corporate bank account | N/A | Precondition; allow lead time |
These figures are indicative. The definitive fee schedule sits with the Gaming Commission of Ghana, and it can change. For the complete breakdown by class and company type, see the full Ghana gaming licence cost breakdown, which covers every category in detail.
Tax on Class 5 gaming revenue in Ghana
A Ghana online casino licence carries a 20% tax on gross gaming revenue, and online GGR is exempt from VAT. Ghana repealed the 10% withholding tax on player winnings on 2 April 2025, so operators no longer withhold that amount from payouts. The Ghana Revenue Authority administers the GGR tax and collects the monthly filings.
You calculate GGR as the amount staked less winnings paid. Peer-to-peer poker and tournaments work differently, since the operator takes a rake instead of betting against the player. Public guidance does not spell out whether the tax base is the rake or the stakes in that case. Confirm that treatment with the Ghana Revenue Authority or the Commission before you finalise your revenue model, because the answer changes how you report poker revenue.
Timeline and technical questions operators ask
The statutory decision limit for a Ghana online casino licence is 12 months from application. In practice, decisions come through in 2 to 3 months once documents are complete. If the Commission refuses an application, it gives 7 days’ notice of the decision along with its reasons.
A realistic stage-by-stage timeline runs as follows. Pre-application readiness takes 4 to 6 weeks, document preparation takes 4 to 8 weeks, then background checks and inspection take 6 to 12 weeks. Bank account opening runs in parallel, and it can be the longest single step, so start early. An iGaming bank account opening process often outlasts the document stage, which is worth planning around rather than treating as an afterthought.
On server and data location, public guidance requires technical and cybersecurity standards along with a revenue-monitoring interface to the Commission. It does not clearly state whether servers must sit physically in Ghana or whether cloud hosting is permitted. Treat this point as unsettled, and confirm it with the Commission directly. Public guidance does not address live-dealer streaming from studios outside Ghana either, so confirm the scope case by case rather than assume it.
What a Ghana online casino licence does not cover
The licence authorises operation in Ghana only. It does not grant access to players in any other country, so each market you enter still needs its own local licence. Operators building a West African footprint often assess neighbouring regimes such as the Liberia online gaming licence under the same product-mix logic.
Class 5 is interactive gaming. On its own, it does not authorise a land-based casino, which sits under Class 1, or online sports betting, which sits under Class 2. If your product spans more than one of these, plan for the additional class rather than assuming Class 5 covers it.
Ghana does not issue a standalone B2B supplier licence. Suppliers operate through a licensee, not directly, and that structure applies across the market regardless of the supplier’s size.
Before any of this, get the corporate setup and the compliance framework around it right. Our gaming licence acquisition service sits upstream of the application itself, from incorporation through AML policy drafting. That is why we recommend involving a consultant before documents go to the Commission.
The Class 5, Class 1 and Class 2 scope question depends on your product mix. It is worth confirming before you file rather than after. If you are weighing which classes your business needs, book a consultation with our team before you apply for a Ghana online casino licence.
Frequently asked questions
What licence class covers online casino gaming in Ghana?
A Ghana online casino licence falls under Class 5, the mobile or interactive gaming category, and covers online casino-style games. Class 1 covers a dedicated, physical casino product instead.
Does a Class 5 licence cover online sports betting?
No. Sports betting sits under Class 2, whether delivered online or in person. A brand combining online casino games with a sportsbook may need both Class 5 and Class 2. The Gaming Commission of Ghana can confirm the exact scope for a combined product.
Can a foreign company hold a Ghana online casino licence?
Yes, through a locally incorporated company with a resident director and a local partner holding at least 10% of shares. GIPC minimum stated capital is USD 500,000, or USD 200,000 with a local shareholder on the register.
How much does a Class 5 online casino licence cost in Ghana?
The fee itself is Commission-set, with indicative ranges published under current fee schedules. In most cases, the full budget also includes GIPC and Class 5 capital, platform testing, and compliance setup. The licence fee is only part of the total cost.
How long does the Ghana online casino licence process take?
The statutory limit is 12 months, but the Gaming Commission of Ghana typically decides within 2 to 3 months once an application is complete. Incomplete documents or failed vetting can extend that timeline.
Do the gaming servers have to be located in Ghana?
Public guidance requires technical and cybersecurity standards plus a revenue-monitoring interface to the Commission. It does not clearly state a physical server-location rule, so confirm this directly with the Commission before you make infrastructure decisions.
Is there a separate B2B licence for game suppliers in Ghana?
No standalone B2B licence exists. Game studios and aggregators distribute their content through a licensed Ghana operator rather than holding a licence of their own.
Does Ghana tax online casino winnings?
The Ghana Revenue Authority repealed the 10% withholding tax on player winnings on 2 April 2025. Operators still pay 20% tax on gross gaming revenue, and online GGR stays exempt from VAT.