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To meet the growing demand for real-money gaming (RMG) apps, Google Play announced that it will expand its support for this category in India, Mexico and Brazil in June.
This initiative will also cover game types and operators without existing license frameworks. Google also has plans to expand the service to more countries in the future.
The decision to broaden support for RMG apps comes after a successful pilot program conducted by Google Play, which involved integrating a wider variety of RMG apps in markets with established licensing frameworks. The tech giant has been working closely with developers to understand the dynamics of this industry while ensuring user safety.
“To ensure Google Play keeps up with the pace of developer innovation, while promoting user safety, we’ve since conducted several pilot programs to determine how to support more RMG operators and game types,” said Google.
One notable example of the pilot program’s success is the initiative in India, where Google Play launched a program focusing on Rummy and Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) to gauge developer and user feedback.
Following positive responses and insights, Google has decided to extend the program of pilot apps in India until June 30, 2024, after which developers can distribute a broader range of RMG apps following the local laws and the updated policy. In Mexico, too, after June 30, developers are allowed to expand their offerings beyond DFS.
Currently, Google follows a strict policy for user protection, including age-gating RMG apps, geo-gating and tighter developer verification mechanisms.
Along with this policy update, Google Play will evolve its service fee model for RMG. The company is working on this front in close cooperation with the developers to scale the policy into a viable and sustained economic model.
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