It is not official news. But since the new adjustments of their gambling policies in 2017, we remain hopeful and patient with lifting the ban for other countries as well. Android users are just about 50 % of the global mobile consumer, and it is disappointing to see that casino fans are cut off from the native Google apps. However, we already see some changes, at least for three lucky countries in Europe. The UK, Ireland and France casino developers can reach to mobile users via an application from the Play store.
Are Gambling Apps Allowed on Google Play?
Until two years ago, Google did not have any gambling apps available for players to download on their mobile devices. In 2017, though, they adjusted their policies, and most of the large online casino brands promote their apps. The ban on apps meant that no one could find apps for sports betting, slot and casino entertainment. However, there is another layer of protection for gambling apps – the national legislation. Some users may still not be able to find gambling apps due to the regulations of the country. Some of the reasons for the ban is that they could not restrict under-18s to have access to gambling apps. On the other side of the spectrum, gambling providers were celebrating their victory, particularly in the UK, Ireland and France.
Shares of Usage by Consumers
The gambling operators were celebrating when the ban was lifted because they had access to another channel for making cash – mobile phones. Additionally, in the UK, 50% of people use Android-powered phones. That meant that half of the population was unable to reach via a native application. Most likely, people were able to play online via the browser of their devices. Nonetheless, does a downloaded app would make customers more loyal to the brand? Certainly, it could be. Millennials are perhaps one of the most important market shares that those companies are targeting their apps.
The Audience
Not only gambling providers were unhappy about the restriction, but game developers and customers may feel the taste of unsatisfaction as well. The strength of the development phase of slots and live casino games is that software suppliers rely on the customer needs to provide the greatest experience with their products. Therefore, Playtech, Microgaming and NetEnt needed the customer interaction to enhance the quality of the product.
Google vs Apple: Native or Non-Native Apps?
The main competitor of Google has already allowed for gambling apps to be downloaded via the store of the respective operating system. However, unlike Apple, Google is not restricting developers to write the application in a programming language that it will be only accessible to Google platforms. And, since Google team is on the look-out for expanding internationally and tapping markets beyond the UK and EU, there are not in a rush to give privileges to other countries for now. They also do not want to harm the competition, therefore there won’t be a restriction of the programming specification than the usual ones – up to date and quick to load apps. Consequently, small scale gambling operators will be enabled to grow within the mobile market shares.
Gambling Apps Requirements
They state that they allow the facilitation of providing gambling apps to the user. However, there is a shortlist of requirements that the apps must meet. Here are Google’s 9 gambling app requirements for developers.
- The developer must successfully complete the application process in order to distribute the app on Play;
- The app must comply with all applicable laws and industry standards for any country in which it is distributed;
- The developer must have a valid gambling license for each country in which the app is distributed;
- The app must prevent under-age users from gambling in the app;
- The app must prevent use from countries not covered by the developer-provided gambling license;
- The app must NOT be purchasable as a paid app on Google Play, nor use Google Play In-app Billing;
- The app must be free to download and install from the Store;
- The app must be rated AO (Adult Only) or IARC equivalent; and
- App and its app listing must clearly display information about responsible gambling.
Apart from the UK, Ireland and France, they still do not permit online casinos, sports betting and lotteries, and games of skill that offer monetary awards and other prizes with value in the real world. Of course, if you wish to upload a gambling app, you will need to fill in a Gambling Application Form where you mention the country that you want to target and the license details of the casino as well as the gambling authorities.
When Is Google Going to Be Free of Gambling App Restrictions?
We understand that if you are a casino business operating in Germany, the Nordic countries, Italy or even from Canada, the ban may still put limits in terms of opportunities to expand. Currently, the apps are only allowed in the UK, Ireland and France. More countries will join later. Permission will be given to the developer who obtains a Google certificate. If you are a privately licensed operator, then you will need to fill in the Gambling Application Form. If you to develop and distribute an app of a state-run entity like lottery or a social casino app, you will need another form. A lot of changes in the policy will be required until casino apps prevail. Anyhow, we see light in the tunnel, it is just a matter of time before the full liberation on Google’s behalf. You will still need to consider local legislation.