Google Play Store To Allow Real Money Gambling Apps In 15 New Countries
Google has had a very strict policy in place with regards to offering real money gambling apps in its Play Store for Android users. There are only four countries that are permitted to carry real money gambling apps – Brazil, Ireland, UK and France.
Google has now confirmed that this policy will change from March 1 and an additional 15 countries will be allowed to offer real money gambling apps in the Play Store.
Google has decided to change its policy store procedures which will allow 15 new countries to start offering real money gambling apps. The countries that will be permitted to do this include the United States, Australia, Germany, Colombia, Belgium, Canada, Finland, Denmark, Mexico, Japan, Norway, New Zealand, Spain, Romania and Sweden.
Players in these countries who have waited to download gambling apps for real money will technically be able to do so from March 1. However, it will take some time before these apps start showing up in the Play Store as there is an approval process to be followed before the app gets permission to be made available.
Developers who want to launch real money apps in any of the above countries will have to submit a form for approval and prove that their app meets the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) and is compliant with Google’s Developer Policy Center’s terms and conditions.
Google has confirmed that real money apps can be developed in the following categories: online casino games, daily fantasy sports, sports betting and lotteries.
Real Money App Must Meet 10 Requirements
Google has put in place a number of requirements to ensure that only legit apps get approved on the Play Store. Some of the requirements include displaying responsible gambling information clearly in the app, being free to download from the Play Store and ensuring that underage gamblers do not have access to download the app.
Developers must also show that they are licensed by the respective country or state to offer real money gambling. They will also have to prove that their real money gambling apps are compliant with gambling regulations in these jurisdictions.
While there are a lot of regulations in place, gambling analysts expect the number of real money gambling apps in the Play Store to grow significantly in the coming months.
Carolyn DuttonAuthor
Carolyn is our legislation expert, with a background in law she is able to cover the current state of gambling around the world
