Female students turn to sports betting amid economic hardship - UPSA SRC President

Female students in Ghana are breaking the status quo by engaging in sports betting, according to the Student Representative Council (SRC) President of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), Majesty E.K. Ofori. 

Speaking on the GTV Breakfast Show, Ofori disclosed that some female students have resorted to betting due to economic hardship.

While betting is commonly perceived as a venture for men in Ghana, Ofori stated that some female students bet on football teams and basketball, even though they may not know how to arrange the odds and other technicalities involved. 

Mr Ofori also noted that betting has become a school of its own, where people are taught how to bet.

However, the government's recent decision to impose a 10% tax on earnings from lotteries, games of chance, and sports betting at the point of payout has not gone down well with the majority of youth. Betting has become a source of income for them, and taxing it means a reduction in their income.

“Some of the ladies engage in betting to some extent even though they may not know how to arrange the odds and other technicalities involved. They bet on the football teams and basketball”, he said in an interview on GTV.