The Goods and Services Tax Council after its 50th meet at New Delhi on Tuesday has agreed to levy 28% GST on online gaming, horse racing, casinos on full value.

While the Group of Ministers (GoM) in their previous meeting broadly agreed for the proposed taxes on the said activities, there was no consensus on online gaming as Goa proposed to impose only 18 per cent tax on platform fees.

GST council agreed on there should be no distinction between game of skill and game of chance. 

A group of top online gaming firms represented by the FICCI Gaming Committee, however, urged the Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC) not to hike the GST rate for the sector to 28 per cent as they cited it would be “extremely detrimental to the survival of the online gaming industry as no business operations can survive with such high taxation.”

Tax on F&B in Cinema Halls

The council also shed light on the sale of cinema tickets and supply of eatables such as popcorn or cold drinks etc., when clubbed and sold together, the entire supply should be treated as composite supply and taxed as per the applicable rate of the principal supply, which in this case is cinema ticket.

The council announced that GST on restaurants inside Cineplex to attract 5 per cent GST against 18% earlier. 

Before the change, movie tickets below Rs 100 were taxed at 12 per cent, while those above the threshold attracted 18 per cent GST.

Council to exempt GST on cancer drug

Further, the meeting also decided to lower GST on import of cancer drug Dinutuximab, and Food for Special Medical Purposes (FSMP) used in the treatment of rare diseases. Currently, the drug attracts a 12% integrated GST.