Group of Ministers to meet on May 2 to discuss GST related to casinos, online gaming
India Today
The GST Council’s Group of Ministers will hold a crucial meeting on May 2 in Delhi to look into matters related to the tax regime covering casinos, race courses and online gaming.
The Group of Ministers (GoM) set up by the Union Ministry of Finance to look into matters related to GST regime covering casinos, race courses and online gaming will hold a crucial meet on May 2 in Delhi.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma is the convenor of the GoM. He replaced Gujarat Finance Minister Nitin Patel, who was dropped from Gujarat’s council of ministers in a rejig in September last year. The other members of the group are Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, West Bengal Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya, Gujarat Finance Minister Kanubhai Patel, Goa Minister for Panchayat Raj Mauvin Godinho, Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Ragan, Uttar Pradesh Finance Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna and Telangana Finance Minister Thanneeru Harish Rao.
The committee is expected to deliberate on four issues related to casinos, race courses and online gaming in India. The mandate of the GoM is to examine the valuation of services provided by casinos, race courses and online gaming websites, along with taxability of certain transactions in a casino.
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The group has to take into account the existing legal provisions and court orders on related matters. Naturally, the GoM will also make recommendations on possible changes in existing laws to implement the new valuing methods which will come into play regarding casinos, race courses and online gaming.
Ahead of the meeting of the GoM in the national capital on May 2, Goa minister Mauvin Godinho said the GST Council will take a final call on the recommendations of the group. He added that several representations to the Council proposing that the four categories should be taxed as per gross gaming revenue will be examined by the group.
Online games involving betting attract a 28 per cent GST rate while games not involving betting or gambling are in the 18 per cent bracket.
