More Real-Money Gaming Apps Will Be Allowed By Google On The Play Store

Google has said that it would shortly enable additional real-money games (RMGs) on the Play Store. RMGs let Android users deposit money in the hopes of winning large sums of money.

The tech behemoth used to only let RMG apps operate within legally mandated frameworks. These rules were utilized by the Play Store to decide which apps to accept or reject. Due to the methodology, Google disqualified games that were within the law but lacked clear regulations on their accessibility.

Google is working to enable legal real-money games on the Play Store.

Google first permitted the listing of gambling and betting games in its app store back in 2021. As of right now, the search giant has announced that the initiative would be expanded this year, with more assistance for RMGs, beginning in June with Mexico, Brazil, and India. A later date will be announced for the roll-out in other nations.

According to Google, RMG game kinds and operators that are otherwise lawful but “not covered” by any current licensing scheme will be supported. To list their RMG applications, developers will need to comply with all current local restrictions in addition to Google’s regulations.

Google began testing the program in India in 2022, allowing Rummy and fantasy sports applications on the regional Android app market. Google extended the grace period to January 15 of last year. The recently announced pilot RMGs that have already received approval will be accessible on the Play Store through June 30.

There’s another initiative like this going on in Mexico.

Developers will be able to release their real-money gambling applications on the Play Store outside of the fantasy sports categories when the grace period expires. There are rules governing age limitations, identification verification, and geo-restrictions on the pilot. Google claimed that in the upcoming months, it will provide comprehensive policies.

There are rules governing which RMG apps are now permitted in the Play Store. These consist of fantasy sports games that are only available in the nations where they are permitted, lotteries, sports betting, horse racing, and internet casinos.

App makers have been begging Google to let them create new real-money game categories, such as online variations of regional card games that aren’t popular enough to have laws governing them.

Google conducted local pilots to test ways to enable additional RMG operators and game genres before extending its RMG policy. The business initially launched the trial program because many Indian developers were keen to make RMG apps available to more Android users.

Google Is Going To Implement A New Fee Schedule While Permitting Developers To Use Outside Payment Gateways

As global regulators put further pressure on the internet giant to let developers use payment methods other than Google’s, it is also investigating a new pricing structure that will be crucial to Play Store’s business model.

RMG apps used to be free to download, however, they were unable to use Google Play Billing. Google did not impose any service fees on developers as a result. But with the updated RMG model, all of that is about to change.

2020 saw Google remove the Paytm app from the Play Store after its developers included components related to fantasy sports. Paytm is an Indian financial services firm.

In 2022, Google launched a user-choice billing model that offers a 4% service price savings. It is anticipated that this approach will continue as additional partners are joining in.