GH₵80m Betting Tax Revenue Collected, Dr. Ato Forson Responds to Amin Adam

In a recent statement, Ghana’s Finance Minister, Ato Forson, has refuted claims made by former dep. Finance Minister Mohammed Amin Adams, regarding the implementation of the betting tax.

Dr. Amin Adam had previously asserted that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration had not implemented the betting tax despite the law being passed in 2023.

The betting tax, introduced under the previous administration, imposed a 10% withholding tax on winnings from sports betting and lottery games.

While the tax faced significant backlash from both the public and industry players, the implementation of the tax took place in the second half of 2024 under the NPP government.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, March 11, shortly after presenting the new government’s first budget statement, which included the abolition of the e-levy and betting tax, Finance Minister Ato Forson addressed the claims by Amin Adam.

Ato Forson pointed out that his checks had revealed that the betting tax had indeed been enforced and that, to date, over GH₵80 million had been collected from the tax.

“I don’t think he’s on top of that matter because my checks revealed that it was implemented in the second half of 2024,” Ato Forson said during an interview on JoyNews’ PM Express.

“The facts clearly do not support his assertion. Over GH₵80 million has already been collected from the betting tax.”

The former deputy finance minister had claimed that the tax had not been collected, calling it deceptive for the NDC to announce its abolition without ever collecting it.

According to Dr. Adam, the implementation of the tax was a non-issue and should not be a subject of discussion.

However, Ato Forson’s response counters these claims, stressing that the tax was not only implemented but had also contributed a significant amount of revenue to the government’s coffers.

Meanwhile, the betting tax was one of the key promises made by the NDC during the 2024 election campaign.

Prez Mahama, the NPP’s presidential candidate, had vowed to abolish the betting tax if elected, citing it as a burden on citizens and businesses.