GST council to propose 28% tax on casinos, race course, online gaming

The GST council in its upcoming meeting is likely to propose a 28 per cent lax levy on online gaming, casinos and horse racing.

The panel of ministers, headed by Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma, tasked to review the GST levy on casinos, race courses and online gaming has finalised its report.

The Group of Ministers (GoM) had in its previous meeting earlier this month unanimously decided on hiking the tax rate on these services to 28 per cent.

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In another meeting on Wednesday, the GoM finalised the method of valuing these services for the purpose of levying this tax.

“The Group of Ministers (GoM) on casinos, race courses and online gaming has come to a consensus. The report of our submissions will be handed over to Honble FM, Smti. @nsitharaman Ji in a day or two & the matter will be presented in the next @GST_Council Meeting,” Sangma tweeted.

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At present, services of casinos, horse racing and online gaming attract 18 per cent GST. The government had in May last year set up a panel of state ministers for better valuation of services of casinos, online gaming portal and race courses for levying Goods and Services Tax (GST).

The report of the GoM is likely to be taken up in the next meeting of the GST Council expected later this month.

Other state ministers in the eight-member GoM include Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, Gujarat finance minister Kanubhai Patel, Goa panchayati raj minister Mauvin Godinho, Tamil Nadu finance minister P Thiaga Rajan, Uttar Pradesh finance minister Suresh Khanna and Telangana finance minister T Harish Rao.

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(With inputs from agencies)