New Delhi: Following the GST Council meeting, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a significant increase in revenue from GST on online gaming, which surged by 412% in the last six months, reaching ₹6,909 crore. The income from casinos also saw a notable rise, jumping by 30%.
In July 2023, during the 50th GST session, it was decided that online gaming—both skill-based and chance-based—would be taxed at 28%, a change that came into effect on October 1, 2023. Previously, skill-based online gaming was taxed at 18%.
Additionally, GST on helicopter services for religious pilgrimages, such as Kedarnath and Badrinath, will be reduced from 18% to 5%. The council also discussed potential tax reductions on life and health insurance premiums and proposed levying GST on small digital transactions of up to ₹2,000 made via debit and credit cards through payment aggregators.
