Shillong, May 2: Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, who was appointed as the Convener to lead the Group of Ministers (GoM) on Casinos, Race Course and Online Gaming, on Monday held a meeting on Monday with other members and officials at North Block, Delhi.
The GoM was constituted by the Union Ministry of Finance, to study the GST rates for casinos, race courses and online gaming.
Sangma said, “We have been able to move forward to a large extent on issues related to rates, issues related to valuation on which the rate should be applied and certain issues of online gaming were discussed. Few more technical aspects need to be discussed.”
The next meeting will be held 2nd week of May.
Other members of the GoM include Ajit Pawar, Deputy CM of Maharashtra, Chandrima Bhattacharya, West Bengal’s Minister of Finance, Kanubhai Patel, Gujarat’s Minister of Finance, Mauvin Godinho, Minister of Transport and Panchayati Raj of Goa, Dr. Palanivel Thiaga Rajan,Minister of Finance of Tamil Nadu, Suresh Kumar Khanna,Minister of Finance of Uttar Pradesh, and Thanneeru Harish Rao,Minister of Finance of Telangana.
Last year, Sangma had led the GoM to study GST rates on Covid related materials.
Opposition to casinos, gaming
After opposition to setting up of casinos, the chief minister had said such activities will be far away from the city and would be located in Khanapara near Guwahati.
He said various forms of gaming both online and offline have been going on in the state for the past 20-25 years and there has been no rules to regulate them.
He had also said locals will not be allowed to take part.
“None of these activities will be anywhere this side even if we move forward it will be all in the border areas starting from Byrnihat bridge towards Jorabat and Khanapara areas,” he had said.
While discussions for opening of casinos and gambling for tourists in the state are at the preliminary stage, the government is looking at regularising the existing gaming parlours functioning for the past 25 years in Shillong and other areas illegally.
“There was one regulation that came out in the 1990s for certain areas in Police Bazar under Home department. But after that there were mushrooming of gaming parlours in different parts of the state hence it required a special law to be put in and therefore this law will only allow that those places will be regulated and there will be taxes as per the law,” he said.
