Google strengthens Android with gambling apps

According to a report of the B2B online magazine EGR, the Californian search engine giant Google plans to expand its offer of gambling apps in the in-house Google Play Store. After Google apps with a gaming character had completely thrown out of the range a few years ago, these are at least available in some countries. Now the subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. wants to loosen the rules for programming gambling apps.

Google and Apple go separate paths

There is probably no greater competition on the digital online market than that between Google and Apple. the two large corporations are the most important engines for global digital growth. and both companies are usually active in the same markets. at least on one market, however, it will be over. we are talking about gambling apps. because while apple made all applications in their own app store tabula rasa at the end of last year and even Apps removed, who were not necessarily related to gambling, google goes a completely different way. in the future, namely Significantly more gambling apps in the Play Store to be found than it is so far. In order to achieve this, the group wants to loosen the rules that developers have had to keep so far in order to be able to offer gambling apps in the Play Store.

“These include online casinos, sports betting and lotteries as well as skill games where money or material prizes are offered.”

Not just Google guidelines important

The big hurdle for developers is also that there are not only rules for the programming of apps, but also for the specific content. Because, for example, the apps are also treated as gambling apps that open to Advertise gambling. The guideline overview for developers summarizes specifically how gambling advertising is defined for apps offered in the Play Store. The advertising for online gambling is allowed if the following criteria are observed:

1. 1. Apps and advertisements, including gambling advertisers, must meet all applicable laws and industry standards for each location where gambling advertising is shown.
   2. The advertisement must meet the applicable licensing requirements for all advertised gaming -related products and services.
   3. In the app, people who are known to have been younger than 18 years of age may not be shown gambling.
   4. The app must not participate in the “Designed for Family” program.
   5. People who are younger than 18 must not belong to the primary target group of the app.
   6. The display must have a clearly visible information on responsible play on the target page, the advertised app entry itself or in the app.
   7. An app that advertises a gambling display must not be an app with a simulated gambling, i.e. an entertainment game that is not played for real money.

It is also important to consider that too the national laws are to be observed or the providers need a national lucky license, which is only the case with very few app developers. This is above all the reason why it is currently only possible in three countries to obtain gambling apps from the Google Play Store. These are currently the countries of Great Britain, Ireland and France.

Does Google Android want to strengthen?

The fact that Google has decided to open the door a little further is not surprising, you look at the past few years. The American company had In 2010, for the time being, it was decided not to offer gambling apps with a commercial character for download in the Play Store, this decision In 2017 but offset again and gambling apps provided in the respective countries as part of the national laws. the fact that google is now expanding its offer seems to be a logical step, especially since the company should see the chance here, his To further expand the market share in the mobile segment. Current numbers show that Gambling becomes mobile and especially consumed on smartphones and tablets. especially the withdrawal of apple from the area of gambling apps should now be the opportunity for google to generate larger market shares. googles android has already developed into the market leader in mobile operating systems in recent years. at the beginning of the year the market share was short 74 percent in Europe, apple only came to 25.5 percent with ios. almost the same values can be found in USA. since the developer of iphone and ipad had announced at the latest developer conference to at least restrict the range of gambling apps in the play store, and it can be assumed that the As far as mobile gambling is concerned, demand will continue to increase, could actually benefit google’s mobile operating system in the long term. the only Exception are native apps, i.e. applications that were specially developed for iOS. There should be gambling apps here in the future.