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The enforcement actions against offshore online gaming entities have been intensified by the Directorate General of Goods and Services Tax Intelligence (DGGI).
As per a statement from the Ministry of Finance on Saturday, around 700 offshore entities involved in the supply of online money gaming/betting/gambling are under the agency's scanner. These offshore entities are evading GST by failing to register, concealing taxable pay-ins, and bypassing tax obligations, the finance ministry stated. As part of the massive crackdown, 357 websites/URLs of illegal/non-compliant offshore online money gaming entities have been blocked by the agency DGGI, in close coordination with Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). Citing a recent operation against some of the illegal gaming platforms, the finance ministry said DGGI targeted and blocked bank accounts that were being used to collect money from participants. DGGI attached nearly 2,000 bank accounts and Rs 4 crore, in coordination with the I4C and the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). In another action, the finance ministry said 392 bank accounts linked to UPI IDs found on websites of some of these offshore entities have been put on debit freeze and a sum totalling Rs 122.05 crore has been provisionally attached in these accounts. In another DGGI operation against a few Indian nationals, who were running online money gaming platforms from outside India, it was unearthed that these individuals were allegedly facilitating online money gaming to Indian customers through various such online platforms. Those platforms, according to the Ministry of Finance, include Satguru Online Money Gaming Platform, Mahakaal Online Money Gaming Platform and Abhi247 Online Money Gaming Platform. They have been alleged of using mule bank accounts to collect money from Indian customers. "DGGI has so far blocked 166 mule accounts linked with these platforms. Three such persons have been arrested till now and investigation against more such individuals is under progress," the finance ministry said. "Non-compliance by foreign entities distorts fair competition, harms local businesses, and skews the market. These unscrupulous foreign entities circumvent restrictions by creating new web addresses. Investigations also revealed that these companies operated through 'mule' bank accounts to process transactions. Funds collected through mule accounts leave the potential to be funneled into illicit activities which may also be dangerous for the national security point of view." According to the ministry, Bollywood celebrities and cricketers along with YouTube, WhatsApp, and Instagram influencers, were found endorsing these platforms, and therefore the public is advised to remain cautious and not engage with offshore online money gaming platforms as it may jeopardise their personal finances and indirectly support activities that undermine financial integrity and national security. With the upcoming IPL season, enforcement actions will be more stringent to curb illicit gaming operations, the finance ministry said. "Staying informed and choosing regulated platforms is crucial for responsible gaming." (ANI)
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