Gaming
GST council sticks to its earlier decision: Imposes 28 per cent tax on online gaming
Mumbai: The GST council has stuck to its earlier decision to impose a 28 per cent levy on the full face value of bets placed on online gaming, casinos and horse racing, and planned to implement it from 1 October.
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who chaired the Council’s meeting, said the Centre would now strive to amend the Goods and Services Tax (GST) law in Parliament’s current session itself to enable the implementation of the levy, despite dissent from Sikkim and Goa over the modalities of the tax for casino users.
Tamil Nadu finance minister Thangam Thennarasu raised concerns about the levy’s impact on the State-wide ban on online gaming, which Sitharaman said would be addressed in the language of the new norms to explicitly state the tax cannot be levied where a ban is in place.
Delhi government’s representative sought a fresh review for the online gaming sector, but most other States leaned towards sticking to the council’s decision last month which had been taken after three years of deliberations, Sitharaman conveyed after the virtual meeting.
The online gaming industry, which had termed the council’s decision a death knell endangering billions of dollars of investments and thousands of jobs in the sunrise sector, remained anxious but appreciated a critical clarification on the valuation rules for the 28 per cent levy, approved by the council on 2 August.
Gaming
Nodwin Gaming partners with Runestone for esports data and integrity solutions
South Asian esports leader joins forces with Czech tech firm to enhance tournament operations.
MUMBAI: Nodwin Gaming has just levelled up its game by bringing in a specialist to keep the scoreboard honest and the fans fully engaged. The leading South Asian esports and gaming company has announced a strategic partnership with Runestone, a Prague-headquartered esports technology firm specialising in real-time data and engagement solutions for tournament organisers and publishers.
The collaboration aims to strengthen competitive integrity, improve operational oversight, and deliver more interactive viewing experiences across Nodwin’s properties. It will initially focus on the Nodwin Clutch Series for Counter-Strike 2, a Tier 2 tournament that provides emerging teams with consistent competitive opportunities and helps build the talent pipeline.
The latest edition of the series recently concluded with Big defeating ECSTATIC 2–1 in the grand final of the $50,000 online event.
Nodwin Gaming chief business officer at MENA and global head of data monetization Teemu Koski said, “Integrity and transparency are fundamental to sustainable esports ecosystems, especially in Tier 2 competition where the next generation of talent emerges. Runestone’s expertise complements our experience in building scalable esports IPs.”
Runestone head of partnerships Michael Schwartz added, “Nodwin Gaming has built one of the most dynamic esports ecosystems across emerging markets. We’re thrilled to collaborate on supporting tournaments with greater transparency, deeper fan interaction, and scalable tools.”
Both companies are exploring opportunities to extend the partnership across additional titles, including mobile-first competitive ecosystems, and to develop new products for publishers, tournament operators, and event promoters.
In the rapidly growing world of esports, where fair play and fan excitement are equally crucial, Nodwin Gaming and Runestone are teaming up to ensure every match is not only competitive but also transparent and engaging. This alliance could well become a game-changer for Tier 2 tournaments across South Asia and beyond.
