BetPawa, a prominent online sports betting brand and sponsor of the Ghana Premier League (GPL), has announced an expansion in the scope of its partnership with the Ghana Football Association (GFA) for the local clubs.
The Locker Room Bonus (LRB) was introduced in the GPL during the 2022/23 season to celebrate winners and further reward great performances.
This winning bonus is paid to all players who make the squad list per match in the Ghana top-tier league. The money is paid directly to their mobile phone wallets immediately after winning a match and before the players leave the stadium; hence, the term ‘Locker Room Bonus’.
The new agreement for the 2024/25 season maintains the increment in payment sum from GH¢150 to GH¢400 initiated in the previous season for the Premier League players and the inclusion of women’s football (FA Cup) from the round of 16 to the finals.
The LRB initiative by BetPawa has seen 490 Ghana Premier League players taste the reward paid immediately after each match to winning squad members. During the 2023/24 season, a total of GH¢1.23million was given out in Locker Room Bonuses to the league’s players from 17 out of the 18 participating teams, an impact the brand is committed to building upon.
Again, for the ongoing 2024-2025 season, BetPawa plans to extend the Locker Room Bonus to include three technical staff members from each winning team, further broadening the scope of its support for Ghanaian football.
The new development is in line with the plans of Mchezo Limited, the entity that owns BetPawa, to invest US$10million in sports across Africa over the next five years to support talent development.
Managing Director – Mchezo Limited and Chief Commercial Officer – Betpawa Africa, Ntoudi Mouyelo-Katoula, highlighted the brand’s intention to pilot the programme in Ghana and expand to other countries on the continent where the brand currently owns some significant market shares.
“We are extending the Locker Room Bonus to other competitions across Africa. Our goal over the next five years is to channel over US$10million into impactful initiatives throughout the continent,” he stated.
In Ghana, BetPawa has already established itself as a key investor in local sports, sponsoring winning teams in the domestic league and previously being the headline sponsor of the local league.
Touching on its partnership with the GFA, the Chief Commercial Officer said: “We are committed to continuing this initiative to incentivise players and recognise the GFA’s ongoing efforts to improve the league and other sporting events. This year, we’re extending our support to women’s teams for the first time, offering a GH¢400 bonus to each player on winning teams, delivered instantly from the pitch to the locker room”.
BetPawa impact
During the 2022-2023 season, GH¢600,000 in direct payments, positively impacting nearly 3,000 players and dependents throughout the season. Following the success of this initiative, the company increased its investment to GH¢1.3million for the 2023-2024 league season, reaching approximately 4,000.
In addition to the LRB, BetPawa is advancing its investment in sports infrastructure at the Ghanaman Sports Centre of Excellence in Prampram. Phase one was completed with the construction of an Astro-turf for sporting activities; and phase two of this project will see the installation of seating for fans, enhancing the spectator experience.
Once completed, the BetPawa Stadium is intended to be made available to premier league teams as a venue for official games, marking a lasting legacy for Ghana’s sports landscape.
