Developers Notice an Influx of Advertisements Connected to Possible Dubious Online Gaming Entities

By John Isaac,
Editor at online-gambling.com

John Isaac Editor at online-gambling.com

John Isaac is an editor with many years of experience in the gambling industry. He writes expert articles on card games like blackjack and poker. In addition, he is also well aware of the US gambling laws and the Indian and Dutch gambling markets. You can rely on verified information and insightful details.

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Last updated: October 29, 2022

Following complaints from developers, Apple has decided to stop placing wager-related adverts on the product pages in the App Store. According to reports, developers have recently noticed an increase in the number of advertisements for possibly suspicious online gaming entities that appear across the App Store.

The advertisements are seen in the “you might like” section, where Apple uses technology to suggest additional apps to customers based on their viewing history. According to TechCrunch, several developers have discovered betting advertisements in a section of the App Store that is meant for helping people who have problematic gambling habits.

Both Apple and Google Have Had Controversies with Betting-Related Apps

The App Store and Google Play are the two most popular places to get apps. Both Apple and Google have had their fair share of controversies with betting-related apps, even those where the real money was not on the line. The two companies have drawn criticism since it’s believed they receive a percentage of bettors’ winnings and losses from the developers of applications that resemble casino games.

In the past, Apple tried to quell some of the controversy connected to the inclusion of gaming content in the App Store. For instance, in 2019, the company notified those who developed such content that the content must be rated as suitable only for users aged 17 and over. This applies to even those apps where the real money is not at stake.

Later that same year, Apple imposed a requirement that all developers have products that are “native” (rooted in the iOS operating system), regardless of content. Gradually, the company also booted wagering content in some select countries and removed several Chinese gaming applications from the App Store.

Aside from the aforementioned app controversy, Google’s parent Alphabet, Facebook’s owner Meta Platforms, and Apple are also involved in legal disputes. Plaintiffs filed the lawsuits on the grounds that they spent thousands of dollars on in-app purchases in the casino-style games they downloaded from these companies’ app platforms. A significant percentage of Americans surveyed, also mentioned that they believe there is currently an excessive amount of promotion for sportsbooks too.

Apple Confirms That It Removed the Gaming Advertisements

Apple acknowledged to some publications that it has removed the gaming adverts and those for numerous other categories. The fact that betting spots were still appearing in spaces that are entirely not related to wagering is one that developers decry.

Under the previous policy, it was conceivable, for instance, that a sportsbook ad might show up in the app sections for photography and books. However, developers criticized the use of gaming adverts in the first place. The developers questioned why a company that has a $2.26 trillion market capitalization needs the pennies that come from the betting advertisements.

Apple, on the other hand, sees a chance to compete with Meta and Alphabet in the field of online advertising and plans to do so by leveraging the App Store. According to some estimates, Apple already earns $4 billion yearly from online advertisements, and in the years to come, the figure is expected to increase exponentially.