Bihar Tables Amendment to Enforce 28% GST on Online Gaming

• Attention gamers and industry stakeholders: Bihar is setting a new course for online gaming taxation!
• With a substantial 28% GST now in the spotlight, the Bihar state government is steering the online gaming sector towards a revised tax landscape.
• Understand the implications of the recent bill that seeks to cement the ordinance into law, potentially reshaping gaming and betting’s financial framework.
• Keep abreast of this pivotal legislative shift and prepare for its impact on the gaming industry in Bihar and beyond.

In the legislative chambers of Bihar, a pivotal amendment bill has been introduced, aiming to solidify the previously issued ordinance that set a 28 percent Goods and Services Tax (GST) on online gaming, casinos, and horse racing. This move by the state government adheres to the uniform tax rate established by the GST Council in July.

Finance Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary elaborated before the assembly: “Following directives from the Ministry of Finance, a uniform 28 percent GST on various forms of online gambling and gaming went into effect on October 1. The proposed amendment bill is poised to replace the existing ordinance, embedding this tax regime into the state’s legislative framework.”

The gaming industry has voiced apprehension, suggesting that this steep tax rate may inadvertently propel gamers towards international, unregulated platforms, possibly diminishing tax collections domestically. G2G News reports further compound the industry’s concerns, with Bihar’s IT Minister, Israil Mansuri, acknowledging the hardships that the new tax rate might impose on gaming firms. Highlighting a critical taxation issue, he underscored the possibility of taxes outstripping company revenues, challenging the viability of their business models under the new tax structure.