Social media has been in a frenzy since the finance minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson announced that the government will abolish the controversial betting tax.
The betting tax was introduced by the erstwhile Nana Akufo-Addo government in 2023 and in effect the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) began withholding 10% of all gambling platform wins in August 2023.
Presenting the 2025 budget in parliament today, Forson explained the decision to scrap what has been described as a nuisance tax.
He stated:
Mr. Speaker we will abolish the 10% withholding tax on betting.
He stressed the need for the betting tax and other taxes to be removed, stating that it would improve the disposal income of Ghanaians.
The removal of these taxes will ease the burden on households and improve their disposal income. In addition, it will support business growth and improve tax compliance.
This announcement was met with excitement by some Ghanaian youth and “investors” who have long been calling for the betting to be scrapped. While others maintain that scrapping the tax will encourage more youth to engage in betting, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has kept its promise to remove the betting tax.
For many “investors” this is a relief on their bet winnings, as they will now get to enjoy their full winnings when the budget is finally approved by parliament.
Reacting to this news, some of them took to social media particularly X (formerly Twitter) to celebrate.
Here are a few of the funniest posts, comments, memes and reactions post the budget presentation today.
Social media reactions
