Ghana has imposed a 10% tax on betting and lottery winnings effective from Tuesday.

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) says the new withholding tax on all betting, games and lottery wins will be deducted at the point of pay-out.

According to the GRA, in situations where a game is cancelled and the player’s stake is returned or the value of the pay-out is less or equal to the amount staked, withholding tax will not apply.

Lottery operators have been directed to make changes to their software for easy tracking by the revenue authority.

The new tax has been widely criticized by young Ghanaians who say betting and lottery winnings serve as alternative income sources for the unemployed.