Betting is not good but you can’t tax it when the youth are unemployed – Mahama

Former President John Dramani Mahama has criticized the government’s decision to tax betting wins, arguing that Ghanaian youth engage in betting due to unemployment.

Speaking on Sunrise FM in the Eastern Region, Mahama emphasized that taxing bets without addressing job creation is unfair.

“These young people bet because they don’t have jobs. Until we provide them with employment opportunities, we shouldn’t tax their bets,” he stated.

He added that taxing betting wins could be considered once jobs are available to discourage betting, but for now, such taxes are unjust. Mahama pledged to scrap the betting tax if his party returns to power.

He called for government efforts to prioritize job creation over revenue collection from vulnerable youth.