Google posted on the
Android Developers Blog (via
AndroidPolice) Thursday that real-money gaming apps (RMG) have “continued to flourish with developers creating new RMG experiences for mobile.” RMG apps are gaming apps that involve real-world currencies. In India and Brazil, Google ran pilot programs to allow Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) apps in the Play Store along with Rummy apps in India.
The results from the pilot programs combined with the positive feedback from users and developers have led Google to desire more RMG apps in the Play Store. In Mexico, the pilot program will end on June 30th and developers will be allowed to distribute RMG apps in the Mexican Play Store beyond Daily Fantasy Sports apps as long as they are in compliance with local Mexican laws and Google’s updated policies. In India, Google will allow RMG pilot apps to remain in the Play Store until June 30th when Google’s new policies go into effect.
“Google Play will begin supporting more RMG apps this year, including game types and operators not covered by an existing licensing framework. We’ll launch this expanded RMG support in June to developers for their users in India, Mexico, and Brazil, and plan to expand to users in more countries in the future.”
Google wants to add more RMG apps to the Play Store
Google says that its new policies will benefit developers globally by providing them with new business opportunities. The policies will also put a priority on user safety. Google plans to look out for users by requiring age-gating. The latter is a popup that asks the user to verify that he/she is an adult and is old enough to use the app. Developers will also use geo-gating to make sure that the apps are available only in areas where they are legal.
Google might be eager to get more RMG apps into the Play Store because it will be “evolving” its service fee model for RMG “to reflect the value Google Play provides and to help sustain the Android and Play ecosystems.” Google adds, “We are working closely with developers to ensure our new approach reflects the unique economics and various developer earning models of this industry.”
RMG apps can attract those with a gambling problem, so Google needs to be extremely careful with its plan to support RMG in Play Stores throughout the world. If done correctly, Google and its developer partners will be the house and as you know, the house always makes money over time.
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