Google is planning to change its Play Store policies, which
will now allow the use of gambling and betting related Android apps that use
real money. The policy will go into effect on the 1st of March and
will be applied in more than 15 countries, including Australia, Belgium,
Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand,
Norway, Romania, Spain, Sweden, and the US. For now, the apps are allowed in 4 countries
only, including Brazil, France, Ireland, and the UK.
Each country will have its own rules and regulations around what kind of online gambling is legal. For instance, some countries allow online casinos, sports betting, lotteries, and daily fantasy sports, while others have stricter restrictions. Moreover, the restrictions are sometimes complicated. Lotteries in some countries, for instance, are allowed only if they’re run by the government. Sometimes, the rules may also vary from state to state within a country.
According to Google’s current policy, developers are
required to apply for approval of their gambling apps on the Play Store, which
will remain unaltered with the updated policy. Through the application process,
the developer’s license to run a gambling operation in the country where his
app will be sold is ensured.
Google’s new Play Store policy will definitely have a
significant effect, as all this time, Android users have been sideloading
gambling apps that they have wanted to use.
