Former president John Dramani Mahama has promised to review some taxes, including the 10% tax on sports betting, if he’s elected as president in 2024.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer believes the Akufo-Addo government has saddled Ghanaians with too many taxes.
Mahama said this while engaging the youth at Techiman Timber Market and the Techiman Magazine as part of his “Building Ghana Tour” in the Bono East region.
“I’ve heard so many of the youth talk about sports betting. It is not just about taxes on betting, when we come to government we will look at the number of taxes imposed by the current government,” Mahama stated.
On August 15, 2023, the Ghana Revenue Authority officially implemented a 10% withholding tax on all betting, games and lottery wins.
This followed the government’s decision to amend the Tax Act, therefore, introducing withholding tax on winnings from sports betting and lottery.
The decision has, however, been criticised by a section of Ghanaians, some of whom took to social media to bash the government.
Meanwhile, the betting industry in Ghana has seen tremendous growth in the last decade, leading to many betting companies setting up shop in the country.
In recent years, sports betting has often divided opinion among Ghanaians, with some quarters highlighting its negative effects on the youth, including addiction.
Others also believe betting is a legal and legitimate way of making money, and therefore cannot be described as a bad practice when no laws are broken.
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