“10% Tax On Betting Should Have Been Higher Than That”- Kennedy Agyapong

Kennedy Agyapong, a potential flagbearer candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), is unwavering in his support of the new taxation policy despite widespread opposition to the government’s recent adoption of a 10% withholding tax on winnings from gambling, games, and the lottery.

On August 15, 2023, the contentious decision went into force, sparking a national debate. Youth in Ghana, many of whom partake in sports betting as a form of amusement and, in some circumstances, as a source of revenue, have been particularly unsupportive of the move.

Despite widespread criticism of the tax, Agyapong maintains that it is appropriate and uses the United States as an example, where the lottery and other comparable games of chance are subject to significant taxes.

“[The 10% tax on betting] is in order and should have been more,” Agyapong said to 3Xtra. “If you go to America and win the US lottery, a billion, you’d take home about $600m because it’s free money and taxable, so 10% they have been charitable.”

“I will be honest with the [youth] betting is not anything good for your future that’s why it should be punitive to discourage young men and women coming up to take their destiny into their own hands instead of spending time on games and all those things. Whatever money you’re going to make today is temporal and betting what will you get out of that? So, we have to be careful,” he added.