What you should know
- Google has announced plans to add more real-money gaming (RMG) apps to the Play Store, following successful pilot programs in India and Brazil.
- The company’s new policies aim to benefit developers globally by providing new business opportunities, while also prioritizing user safety through measures such as age-gating and geo-gating.
- Google is also evolving its service fee model for RMG to reflect the value Google Play provides and to sustain the Android and Play ecosystems.
- While RMG apps can attract those with a gambling problem, Google plans to be extremely careful with its plan to support RMG in Play Stores worldwide, ensuring that it is done correctly to benefit both Google and its developer partners.
Full Story
Google’s been talking about RMG apps. They’ve been posting about it on their Android Developers Blog, according to AndroidPolice. They’re saying these real-money gaming apps are flourishing. Developers are coming up with new experiences for mobile users, and it’s all pretty exciting.
These RMG apps, they’re games that involve real-world money. Google’s been testing them out in India and Brazil. They’ve been running pilot programs for Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) apps and Rummy apps in the Play Store.
The results? Pretty good, it seems. Users and developers gave positive feedback. So now, Google’s got a taste for more RMG apps in the Play Store.
In Mexico, they’re wrapping up the pilot program on June 30th. After that, developers can distribute RMG apps in the Mexican Play Store. They can go beyond DFS apps, as long as they comply with local laws and Google’s updated policies.
India’s got a similar story. Google’s allowing RMG pilot apps to stay in the Play Store until June 30th. That’s when Google’s new policies kick in.
And here’s the kicker: Google Play is planning to support more RMG apps this year. They’re going to include game types and operators not covered by an existing licensing framework. They’re launching this expanded RMG support in June for users in India, Mexico, and Brazil. And they’re not stopping there. They’re planning to expand to more countries in the future.
Google’s new policies are expected to be a boon for developers worldwide. They’re promising new business opportunities. But they’re not forgetting about user safety. They’re prioritizing it, in fact.
They’re going to require age-gating. That’s a popup that checks if the user is an adult and old enough to use the app. They’re also going to use geo-gating. That’s to ensure the apps are only available where they’re legal.
Google’s pretty eager about getting more RMG apps into the Play Store. They’re even “evolving” their service fee model for RMG. They say it’s to reflect the value Google Play provides and to sustain the Android and Play ecosystems. They’re working closely with developers on this. They want the new approach to reflect the unique economics and various developer earning models of the industry.
But here’s the thing. RMG apps can attract those with a gambling problem. Google needs to tread carefully with their plan to support RMG in Play Stores worldwide. If they do it right, Google and its developer partners will be the house. And as we all know, the house always makes money over time.
 apps in the Play Store, starting in India, Mexico, and Brazil, while ensuring user safety and compliance with local laws, and adjusting its service fee model to reflect the unique economics of the RMG industry.){kind=link}