We are losing big money - Efya on Gaming Commission ban
After the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) enforced a law prohibiting celebrities from endorsing alcoholic beverages, the creative arts people have been hit again with another ban by the Gaming Commission.
The Gaming Commission has banned celebrities from endorsing betting companies or being used in their advertisements. The decision, the Commission explains, is due to the increasing number of celebrities endorsing betting companies – a strategy that in its view can lure young fans into gambling.
Reactions to the ban have come from many celebrities including singer Efya, who in a tweet on Wednesday, October 14, lamented that they were missing out on good money.
“Did you know that as a Ghanaian musician artist or creative, you can’t endorse an alcoholic brand of any sort? And now no betting brand either??? How do we fix this? We are losing big bags,” she tweeted.
DID U KNOW THAT AS A GHANAIAN ARTIST OR CREATIVE U CANT ENDORSE AN ALCOHOLIC BRAND OF ANY SORT ? AND NOW NO BETTING BRANDS EITHER ..??? HOW DO WE FIX THIS ? WE ARE LOOSING BIG BAGS !!!
— EFYA (@EFYA_Nokturnal) October 14, 2020Advertisement
Efya's tweet was in response to that of Afrobeats artiste Wendy Shay's tweet in which she threatened to take the FDA and Gaming Commission to court.
GH Celebs can we put our differences aside and fight the system ??
— Queen Shay (@wendyshaygh) October 13, 2020
I guess we don’t know how powerful we are ...
Well I’m taking the FDA and Gaming commission to the Human Rights Court
Celebs are also Ghanaians and deserve better !!
Ghana wake Up !!
Dancehall act, Shatta Wale, who is known for being outspoken, has also encouraged his colleagues to rise, fight and speak for themselves.
In a video on Thursday, October 15, he said it was sad that regulatory bodies were not doing their work well.
"It is so sad, our industries are not doing their work in this country and this will not affect me but most celebrities as whole," he said.
Related: Ban on adverts: celebrities must unite and speak up:
Earlier this year celebrities including Nadia Buari, Wendy Shay, Efya, Jackie Appiah, Moesha Boduong, Salma Mumin, Selly Galley, Zynell Zuh, Sandra Ankobiah, Kwadwo Nkansah (Lilwin), and KiDi were all signed as ambassadors for Bet Planet, a betting company in Ghana.
However, in the new guideline issued for operators, the Commission stated that companies could not encourage people to bet using individuals with huge social media following.
“Operators shall not use celebrities in their advertisements to entice the general public to gamble,” the statement read.