Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will chair the 51st GST Council meeting via videoconferencing in New Delhi on Wednesday, August 2, at 4 pm. During the meeting, the GST Council is likely to finalise the modalities for determining supply value in online gaming and casinos for levying 28 per cent tax.

“The meeting will be attended by Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, besides finance ministers of states and UTs (with legislature) besides senior officials from Union government and states,” the finance ministry said in a tweet.

The Council, chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and comprising state ministers, in its last meeting on July 11 approved levying a 28 per cent tax on the full face value of bets in online gaming, casinos and horse racing.

Subsequently, the Law Committee, comprising Centre and state tax officers, prepared draft rules for consideration of the GST Council with regard to computation of supply value for tax purposes.

The 28 per cent tax on online gaming has been vehemently opposed by the gaming industry terming the decision “disappointing”, “catastrophic”, and “murder”.

On July 11, the GST Council in its 50th meeting decided to impose a 28 per cent tax on online gaming, horse racing and casino. “Tax will be applicable on the face value of the chips purchased in the case of casinos, on the full value of the bets placed with bookmaker/totalisator in the case of Horse Racing and on the full value of the bets placed in case of the Online Gaming,” the finance ministry had said in a statement on July 11.