No GST ‘headache’ for lottery punters in Sarawak

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A notice pasted at a gaming outlet in Kuching.

KUCHING: Lottery punters now have every reason to rejoice, even after the implementation of the good and sales tax (GST) come April 1.

They will still get to pay RM1.10 per ticket.

A source in the gaming industry said yesterday that even though gaming companies in the state were registered for GST, they would not pass the financial burden to customers.

This means punters would only need to pay the current 10 per cent local government tax while the GST would be ‘absorbed’ by gaming companies.

The source said this in response to a public query over notices pasted at gaming outlets here stating that the price of tickets will be unchanged despite gaming companies being registered for GST.

The source said the current RM1.10 per ticket was already “expensive enough”. Besides, charging customers six per cent GST would be ‘administratively tedious’ as it would involve collecting six sen and distributing loose change.

Gaming companies in the state, the source said, were aware their profit margin would be lower by absorbing the GST, but, on the flip side, business would remain good.

Apart from local government tax, gaming companies were also charged gaming tax, which is standard procedure in all countries.