Parliament okays legal changes to GST on e-gaming, casinos

NEW DELHI: With an eye on levying 28% GST on the face value of bets placed in casinos, horse racing and in online games from October, Parliament on Friday approved amendments to the Central and Integrated GST laws to enable the Centre to impose the tax, while keeping casual gaming – which does not involve real money, betting or wagering – outside the ambit of the levy.

“The bill makes a clear distinction between online gaming and online money gaming, specifying online money gaming as one where the player pays or deposits an amount – including through virtual digital assets – in the expectation of winning some amount in a game or event,”