Francis-Xavier Sosu, the Member of Parliament for Madina, has called for the abolition of the betting tax, labeling it as unnecessary.In a recent interview with Dr. Ren on Rainbow Radio 92.4FM in the UK, Sosu, a lawyer, argued that generating revenue through betting is unwise. He emphasized that a country should not rely on such means to generate income.

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He explained, "If you make betting a source of revenue, you will encourage more people to participate. I don't think you'd want to create a society in which your young people are encouraged to gamble so that you can profit. What we should look into is an alternative form of job creation for people so that they can be weaned off gambling. You do not impose a betting tax to encourage people to bet. That's where I totally disagree.

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"Sosu further expressed his belief that betting is not something that should be promoted among the youth.The tax, which came into effect on August 15, 2023, imposes a 10% levy on all gross gaming winnings. This replaced the previous 15% VAT on stakes and was introduced in line with the amended Income Tax Act of 2023 (Act 1094).According to Sosu, addressing youth unemployment is key in reducing the appeal of betting.

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"We are gradually twisting our society, and I pray that we will be able to do the right thing and not depend on the revenue of taxation. It is also not true that scrapping the betting tax will encourage more young people to engage in it. The opposite is rather the truth. Betting should not be a source of revenue for the national government," he added.

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