Ghana Government Imposes A New 10% Tax On Winnings From Sports Betting And Lotteries

Ghana Government Imposes A New 10% Tax On Winnings From Sports Betting And Lotteries

  • The government of Ghana has imposed a 10% tax on all earnings from sports betting and lotteries in the country
  • Many Ghanaians have vehemently disagreed with the new policy and have called for it to be abolished
  • Some have stated that lotteries, especially sports betting, have become a social nuisance among the youth and should be abolished

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The government of Ghana plans to impose a 10% tax on all winnings from sports betting and lotteries. Many young Ghanaians who participate in sports betting have harshly criticised the new fee on social media.

Photos of Ghana's parliament and a young man who has won the lottery
Photos of Ghana's parliament and a young man who has won a lottery Photo credit: AFP and Ijubaphoto
Source: Getty Images

Throughout the last ten years, Ghana's betting sector has experienced phenomenal expansion, encouraging several betting companies to establish operation centres here.

The opinions of Ghanaians on sports betting have been divided, with some emphasising its negative impacts on the youth while others agree that betting is legal and should not be considered as harmful.

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Serwaa Amihere, a popular media personality, was once criticised for questioning whether sports betting was becoming a national disaster.

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Ghanaians react to the government's decision to tax earnings from lotteries

Many Ghanaians did not take the news of the 10% tax kindly and took to social media to share their thoughts. YEN.com.gh compiled some responses below:

@Tadi_PR said:

I work with a betting company and I am afraid many will be folding up soon. We are already paying taxes on staff and huge sums to the gaming commission.

@Sir_Steeze commented:

But no refund when you lose, eh? Nice nice. Smh

@Kobby1942 remarked:

Even in Uganda, you pay tax when depositing betting platforms

@YUNG_PRIEST98 opined:

Hmmm, this government, there is no job for the youth, the betting we take survive too, you want to receive 10% tax from winning slips, eiiii

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Ghanaian church elder who lost over $100,000 says many betting gurus hide the truth

In an earlier story, YEN.com.gh wrote about how a church elder lost over $100,000 on sports betting. A Ghanaian man claimed to have lost over $100,000 due to his sports betting addiction. Jonathan, a church elder, claimed that more individuals lose more money than they win through sports betting. Internet users who responded to the piece shared their stories of how betting has severely damaged them.

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Source: YEN.com.gh

Authors:
Richmond Setrana avatar

Richmond Setrana Richmond Setrana is a real estate editor for YEN.com.gh with 5 years of writing experience. He graduated from KNUST in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and is currently enrolled in a MA—Mass Communications program with Liverpool John Moores University. He has written for reputable platforms like meqasa.com, Noanyi, Edanra and Yourcommonwealth.org. He can be reached via: richmond.setrana@yen.com.gh