Honourable Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minority Leader in the Parliament of Ghana, has denied claims made by communicators for the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) intends to ban sports betting and gambling.
This comes in response to the government’s recent announcement that it would levy a ten percent tax on winnings from sports betting, a move that has been criticized by Ghanaians, particularly young people, who believe that the government does not care about their situation.
Mr. Forson called the NPP’s claims false and said that they are using a small part of a discussion he was a part of in 2021 to make it seem like the NDC wants to ban sports betting and gambling. He said that the NPP’s actions should be ignored because they were “propaganda of the cheapest kind.”
Mr. Forson emphasized, “I spoke against taxing gambling, sports betting, and lottery in 2021.” I still oppose taxes on gambling, sports betting, lottery winnings, and others.
The Minority Leader said that the government used lies in a last-ditch effort to justify the new tax system. He urged the general public to disregard the claims made by the NPP and emphasized that the NDC has no plans to outlaw sports betting and gambling.
Ghanaians, particularly young people, have expressed outrage at the government’s announcement of a 10% tax on sports betting winnings, believing that the government is targeting their limited income sources.
Many people have argued that the country has few opportunities for graduates to find work and that the government shouldn’t take the money they make from sports betting.
Some industry players have also voiced their displeasure with the move, claiming that the tax could reduce the sector’s revenue and encourage more people to engage in illegal and informal gambling.
