Education
What’s the tax for online gambling?
As the deadline for filing income tax returns in India looms closer, many people are rushing to file their ITRs this month. The Central government has extended the deadline to December 31, 2020, and all taxpayers—yes, even online gambling players—need to submit their forms by that date, or a hefty fine awaits them. This doesn't include players who gambles at off-shore casinos such as a 10Cric Casino.
Tax on online gambling wins in India—what’s the rule?
India’s tax rules covering gambling—both for land-based venues and online casinos—are still unclear. The outdated Public Gaming Act of 1867 sets up the foundation of gambling levy requirements and categories; however, there are several legislative acts that also serve as the basis of the Indian gambling taxation.
Section 115BB of the Income Tax Act of 1961, which regulates the income tax of India, specifies that any winnings from lotteries, crossword puzzles, race betting, card games such as Andar Bahar, Teen Patti and online rummy and other games, as well as gambling or betting of any form or nature is taxed at a flat rate of 30%.
This tax rule is applied to all online gambling winnings regardless of an individual’s total income, and no exemptions are made.
Reputable online gaming operators charge a 30% TDS (tax deducted at source), which means that players no longer have to worry about figuring out and paying the tax on their online gambling winnings. So a word of warning: if a platform promises “full amount” payment of online casino winnings, that means the gamer is tasked with the burden of declaring his or her winnings via the correct annual tax form.
What about GST for online gambling?
In 2017, central and state governments in India adopted the standardized goods and services tax (GST), which places a 28% tax rate for all entertainment events and services including casinos, racecourses as well as their related services.
In a new research report, ENV Media described GST as India’s equivalent of Value Added Tax (VAT). It explained, “In general, however, players should not think about this tax much, as it is the registered supplier of goods and services that will need to pay the GST… Yes, it does affect the money a player puts in (before) they win; and it does decrease their return in purely statistical terms. But it is an indirect tax which is already included in the final product they purchase when they play.”
Are there direct surcharges for gambling winnings?
In addition to the universal 30% tax on gambling income, there are a couple of surcharges and tax conditions depending on the income groups.
For instance, gambling winnings that exceed INR 50 lakh have a surcharge of 10% applicable to the normal tax rate—for a total of 33%. Meanwhile, gaming income exceeding INR 1 crore—such as in the case of lottery winnings—incurs a surcharge of 15% of the normal tax rate, bringing the total to 34.5%.
There’s also a 4% surcharge for “Health and Education Cess,” which is added to the due tax and does not depend on income.
Education
Scaler appoints new heads for its online and offline businesses
Amar Srivastava becomes chief executive of the online business and group chief product officer; Vidit Jain takes charge of the offline schools
BENGALURU: Scaler is shuffling its top deck as the AI skilling race heats up. The Bengaluru-based tech education company has elevated two senior executives to lead its online and offline businesses, signalling a sharper push into an AI-driven market.
Amar Srivastava, previously senior vice president for product and business, has been appointed chief executive of the online business and group chief product officer. Vidit Jain has been elevated to senior vice president and head of Scaler School, taking charge of the company’s offline education units, the Scaler School of Business and the Scaler School of Technology.
The company has also recently appointed Ratnakar Reddy as head of enterprise for India and the Middle East and North Africa, with a brief to drive partnerships with governments and enterprises for AI-led skilling programmes.
Abhimanyu Saxena, co-founder of Scaler, said the promotions reflect the company’s confidence in both leaders and the direction it is heading. “Amar and Vidit have been central to Scaler’s journey, and their elevations reflect our conviction in their leadership and the direction we are shaping as a company,” he said. “With leadership now in place across the business, we remain focused on building engineers the world’s best companies want to hire. In an AI-first economy, that mission is more urgent and more achievable than ever. Our next chapter is centred on building an AI-native workforce from India, equipped to compete in a technology-driven global economy.”
Srivastava brings over a decade of experience building education-focused ventures. He previously founded Intellify and was part of the early team at Doubtnut. At Scaler, he will lead the online business with a focus on growth, profitability and expansion into new segments, while strengthening the product ecosystem across the group. He is blunt about what the AI economy actually needs. “The AI economy does not have a shortage of tools. It has a shortage of engineers who can think clearly, build reliably, and keep learning as the ground shifts. That is what we are building toward,” he said.
Jain brings more than 15 years of experience across startups and consulting, including stints at MPL and McKinsey and Company. He will oversee growth and profitability of Scaler’s offline business. His priorities are immediate and unambiguous. “The offline experience is where depth gets built, and that depth is critical in the AI era. Over the next 12 months, our focus will be on consistent growth, stronger unit economics, and delivering outcomes for students while building long-term employer partnerships,” he said.
Founded in 2019, Scaler is valued at $710 million and backed by Peak XV Partners, Tiger Global and Lightrock India. Its parent firm, InterviewBit, has featured on the Financial Times’ Asia Pacific High Growth Companies rankings every year from 2021 to 2025. On average, Scaler’s learners see a 4.5x return on investment and a salary increase of around 126 per cent.
With leadership locked in across every business unit, Scaler is betting that the next wave of global tech hiring will be won or lost on the quality of engineers coming out of India. It is a big bet. But the numbers, and the promotions, suggest the company is in no mood to hedge.
