๐๐ง๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐ โ ๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐
The Lok Sabha has passed the Online Gaming Bill, banning real-money gaming (RMG) apps like fantasy sports, rummy, poker and betting, while promoting e-sports and skill-based games.
๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ ๐ญ๐๐ฑ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐, this is significant: the RMG sector contributed an estimated โน15,000โโน20,000 crore annually through GST (28% on face value), TDS on winnings (30%) and corporate taxes. That revenue stream now stands disrupted.
๐๐ก๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ: public welfare over tax revenue. Officials argue that similar amounts are being lost every year by players themselves, with growing cases of addiction, fraud and even national security concerns.
As a ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ, I view this as a classic trade-off between fiscal revenue and social stability. Regulation and taxation could have been an alternative, but India has chosen prohibition to safeguard households and the economy from long-term risks.
๐๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ, ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ญ๐ก ๐จ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ?
#Taxation #Finance #OnlineGaming #Policy #India