Kate Mills
Jan 12, 2024
The search engine giant Google is going to allow a larger variety of real-money games (RMG) on the Play Store, expanding the library of titles abiding by regulations set forth by national regulators.
The RMG category has been performing well since Google brought RMG apps in certain markets in 2021. Unfortunately, the type of RMG supported on Play Store was limited to Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) and Rummy.
However, after receiving positive feedback from users and developers around the world, the tech giant says it’s gearing up to widen the scope of RMG types currently supported, Tech Crunch reported.
Read more: Here’s how to update Google Chrome on your PC
The support for a broader range of RMG types will initially be rolled out to a handful of countries including India, Brazil, and Mexico in June, while the full-scale release is expected in the future.
While not underscoring how much the developers will be charged, the company says it’s mulling to introduce a unique framework for fee services and in-app purchases.
“With this policy update, we will also be evolving our service fee model for RMG to reflect the value Google Play provides and to help sustain the Android and Play ecosystems. We are working closely with developers to ensure our new approach reflects the unique economics and various developer earning models of this industry,” Karan Gambhir, Director, Global Trust & Safety Partnerships at Google said in a blog post.
In 2022, a trial was initiated in India to include fantasy sports and Rummy applications on Play Store. In the previous year, Google granted an extension for previously restricted apps, extending their approval until January 15. Following this recent announcement, the trial apps will now enjoy an additional grace period until June 30.
Google said it will publish detailed policies around the change in the next few months, but it will include guardrails such as age limits and geo-restrictions.
