Rapa: betting shops generate less revenue than what it makes

Western Highlands governor Wai Rapa says betting centers or bookmakers has been considered an addiction that is ripping off public servants and imparting laziness and poverty into the people.

Governor Rapa said from the K83 million generated from the internal revenue of the province, bookmakers tax only contributed K382,000 towards the internal revenue which is even less than the money it makes from its clients like the public servants and people back in the village from their hard earned money.

Rapa said he had witnessed public servants throwing contributing money to betting shops only on luck, the revenue collected by the provincial government from this ‘gambling gold rush’ is even less than what the betting shops actually do.

"Every time I use to see public servants go to this Betting Centers in town to try their luck from their hard earned money that does not have any meaning at all", Rapa said.

"Now you all have seen that even though these places are making millions their revenue to the province is incomparable to what they make and people especially public servants must take this into heed and stop depositing their money into something that they cannot benefit at all.”

Bookmakers Tax is one component of the total internal revenue for Western Highlands Province which comprises of Goods and Services Tax (GST) with K62 million, Motor Vehicle and PMV registration with K5million, Liquor Licensing Tax with K150,000, Cash Office Collection-Licensing with K500,000 making up the total estimated internal revenue for Western Highlands for 2025, inclusive of a K5.5million rollover from the 2024 internal revenue.

The Western Highlands Governor added it will be better too if such gambling centers be removed as they are not fully participating on the internal revenue of the province rather crippling its very fabric people of Western Highlands.