- Android users in the US will be able to gamble and bet through apps available on the Google Play Store.
- The policy change will take place on March 1, 2021, according to Google Support.
- Along with the United States, Google will allow gambling apps to be available in 14 other countries as well.
LOS ANGELES – In what is a monumental shift in the US online gambling industry, the Google Play Store will allow real money gambling, contests, and games to be available on the platform starting March 1, 2021.
In a change to its Play Store policies online casino games, poker, lotteries and sports betting apps will be permitted and will be required to be free to download.
This is major as the Google Play Store is one of the most used apps stores in the United States right behind Apple’s App Store. The App Store already allows gambling apps to be downloaded. But now that gambling companies can put their apps on Android, expect another slight boom in users and revenue because of legal online gambling.
The number of Americans with devices featuring Android operating systems is well over 100 million and has been increasing since 2014 according to Statista. It shouldn’t take long for major sports betting operators like DraftKings or FanDuel to reap the benefits of Google’s policy change in the US.
Google already allows gambling apps to be downloaded from its store in other countries such as the United Kingdom, France, and Ireland. However, with this move the United States won’t be the only country with gambling apps coming to their Android screens as there are 14 other countries also receiving new ways to gamble as long as national/local laws allow.
Other Countries Getting Google Play Gambling Apps
- Australia
- Belgium
- Brazil
- Canada
- Columbia
- Denmark
- Finland
- Germany
- Japan
- Mexico
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Romania
- Spain
- Sweden
In the USA online gambling industry is expected to surpass the United Kingdom’s in a couple of years. Now that the Google Play Store is helping operators, this should allow them to see a major uptick in mobile usage worldwide.
In order for a gambling app to be placed on the Google Play Store it must first complete the application process and be approved by a governmental gaming authority. Below are a handful of the requirements an app must meet to be eligible for the Google Play Store.
Notable Requirements For Gambling/Betting Apps To Be Eligible For The Google Play US Store
- App must prevent underage users from using the app.
- App must not be purchasable as a paid app on Google Play, nor use Google Play In-
- app Billing.
- App must be rated Adult Only.
- App Developer must have a valid gambling license for each country in which it is distributed.
Google is doing its best to ensure that gambling operators are building apps that fit a locale while also ensuring that underaged people cannot access these apps. As a whole for gambling this a major win as operators can now reach bettors on both Apple and Android devices.