India: 13 arrested in police operation against illegal gambling

Police in Bengaluru claim that those arrested were running andar bahar games.

India.- The Bengaluru City Crime Branch (CCB) yesterday (Wednesday) arrested 13 people in an operation against a suspected illegal gambling business. Police seized over Rs 1 lakh.

According to the Hindustan Times, those arrested were allegedly offering andar bahar, a game of chance played with a standard deck of cards. The objective is to predict which of two boxes. ‘andar’ or ‘bahar’ wins.

A few days ago, police in Aurangabad arrested 32 people in a raid on an alleged illegal gambling operation located in the basement of a hotel. Police seized gambling materials, cash, mobile phones and other items worth Rs 3.10 lakh.

According to Lokmat Times, the gambling operation was being led by a police officer who had been suspended from duty after he was found gambling in a building adjacent to the police commissioner’s office. He is alleged to have opened the operation after being suspended.

To date, apart from the Supreme Court’s precedent on skill-based gambling, there is no federal statute to govern India’s gambling industry, with each state taking its own stance on the issue.

GST Council to discuss gambling tax in September

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council has postponed its August meeting on the taxation of gambling to September. The GST Council is considering the introduction of a Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 28 per cent for online gaming, racecourses, and casinos, but has delayed its meeting to allow a group of ministers (GoM) to complete and submit its report on the matter.

Another GoM, which is tasked with making recommendations on the establishment of GST tribunals in each state, also needs more time to complete its report.

Casinos, horse racing and online non-gambling games currently pay 18 per cent of the cash collected per game. The proposed 28 per cent rate would apply to online games involving wagering or gambling.