Gambling applications in the Google Play Store has long been a complicated issue. It is possible to install gambling apps from the Play Store in the United Kingdom from the companies who hold a gambling licence in the country. However, the same rule does not apply to the United States market and at the time of writing it is illegal for gambling companies to have an app available to download from the US Google Play Store.
You only have to look at the recent development of sports betting in Tennessee to understand the rising popularity of online gambling in the United States. At the time of writing, DraftKings Sportsbook, BetMGM Sports, and FanDuel Sportsbook are the three companies to offer sports betting in the US but that is soon to expand. Caesars, William Hill, FoxBet, Bet365, 888Sport, and PointsBet are thought to be among the companies hoping to obtain a licence to operate in Tennessee.
Each of the betting companies highlighted above are sure to produce an Android app but at the time of writing this will not be available in the US Play Store.
Perhaps the main reason why Google does not allow real money gambling apps in the US Play Store is because of the previous strict measures in place regarding gambling in the country. The US Supreme Court recently overturned laws that prevented people in the United States from gambling on sport. Legislation is now in the hands of each individual state and we are slowly seeing an increase in the number of states in the country legalizing sports betting. The changes have been happening over the past two years and progress is far from quick. As a result, there has been no real reason for Google to step in and take the major decision to allow real money gambling apps in the US Play Store.
Even now, with online gambling becoming legal across several states, Google are yet to change their stance on real money gambling apps in the US Play Store. One of the significant issues facing Google in this regard is the different laws in place across the United States. For example, in Pennsylvania it is perfectly legal to place an online sports wager and the companies offering the service have released mobile apps.
However, this is highly unlikely to happen anytime soon in Utah. The anti-gambling stance of Utah is written into the state’s constitution and includes lottery tickets, table games and sports betting. Therefore, if Google were to allow real money gambling apps in the US Play Store, it would have to block people in some states, such as Utah, from accessing the apps. While doing so, it will also have to allow those in Pennsylvania to access the apps that have a license to operate in the state.
You can imagine how difficult it would be to police a scenario where people in some states must be blocked from accessing real-money gambling apps in the Play Store, whereas people in other states can access them freely.
