Google Opens the Door to Gambling Apps

By Jess Plowden, Last updated Feb 15, 2021

Ban to be lifted in selected countries

For the first time in four years, Google will soon open its doors again to real-money gambling apps on its Android distribution platform.

Starting in August, Play Store in three countries, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and France, will be accepting applications for the distribution of real-money gambling apps. Operators will need to submit documentation proving they are licensed to operate in the applied for countries.

This policy change may extend to other countries in the future.

Back in 2013, Google banned all real-money gambling apps, including those involving “games of skill”. Since then, operators have had to use third party distribution channels or develop their own.

Obviously, this increased costs for the gambling firms and was more complicated and inconvenient for their customers.

A short-lived, gambling-themed app distributor, Betcade, was active between 2015 and early 2017 but couldn’t make the model work.

Jess Plowden

Ms. Plowden started working online in the early days of the internet cleaning the tubes and training the cats, then spent 20 years in web design. Jumping at the chance to work at Casinomeister back in 2014, she has been a happy indentured servant behind the scenes ever since.


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