Overview

• India’s GST Council confirmed that admission to “sporting events like the IPL” will be taxed at 40%, up from 28%, placing it in the top bracket with casinos and betting.
• A ₹1,000 base IPL ticket would cost about ₹1,400 under the new rate, and a ₹500 ticket would be ₹700, with additional state levies and booking fees further inflating out-of-pocket prices.
• Recognised sporting events retain favorable treatment, with tickets up to ₹500 exempt and those above taxed at 18%, so international and domestic cricket are not subject to the 40% rate.
• The new rates take effect on September 22, just before the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025, and there is still no explicit clarity on whether other private leagues such as the PKL or ISL are covered.
• Industrialist Harsh Goenka publicly questioned the fairness of imposing 40% GST on IPL fans while the BCCI benefits from tax exemptions.