Right now, only players in Brazil, France, Ireland, and the U.K. can legally install and use real-money gambling apps in Google Play. That's about to change for players who have been shut out because of their location.
Starting March 1st, a Google Play Store policy change will allow apps that allow you to place bets and play online casino games for real money if you reside in certain states or countries. The countries and types of real money casino games and gambling options are as follows.
Australia (Daily fantasy sports, lotteries, and sports betting)
Belgium (Government-operated lotteries, online casino games, and sports betting)
Columbia (Government-operated lotteries, online casino games, and sports betting)
Denmark (Daily fantasy sports, lotteries, online casino games, and sports betting)
Finland (Government-operated lotteries, government-operated online casino games, and government-operated sports betting)
Germany (Government-operated lotteries and sports betting)
Japan ((Government-operated lotteries and government-operated sports betting that's limited to auto-bicycle racing, bicycle racing, horses, motorboats, and soccer)
Mexico (Daily fantasy sports, lotteries, online casino games, and sports betting)
New Zealand (Government-operated lotteries and government-operated sports betting)
Norway (Lotteries, online casino games, and sports betting)
Romania (Government-operated lotteries, online casino games, and sports betting)
Spain (Daily fantasy sports, government-operated lotteries, online casino games, and sports betting)
Sweden (Government-operated lotteries, online casino games, and sports betting)
USA (See rules below)
Will All Online Casino Games and Betting Options Be Available to Everyone?
Players who want to bet on their favorite team or sport, play online slots and other casino games, enter lotteries, or compete in fantasy sports and win money will be able to. While the online gambling options available to you will depend on your state or country's rules on online gambling, it opens the doors and lets you play for real money instead of always having to play for fun using demo play.
Restrictions may make it hard for you to enjoy everything you want to play. For example, the United Kingdom allows lottery games on mobile apps, but many countries restrict lotteries to being run by the government. That may make it hard for people looking for online lotteries to find them.
It's also going to limit casino players in the U.S. to their state's rules. Google has to follow specific state rules for players in the USA:
Fantasy sports legislation is present in several states including Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Kansas, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, and Virginia.
Online casino games are limited to poker only in Nevada and all casino games in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
Sports betting for real money is allowed without restriction in Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and West Virginia.
Sports betting for real money is limited to government operators in Montana, Oregon, and Washington D.C.
State-run lotteries are allowed in Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia.
Will All Casinos Will Be Able to Add Apps?
Don't expect every online casino and sportsbook to add an app to the Google Play Store right away. All developers have to apply to get their gambling app added. Developers need to have an IARC Content Rating for their app and meet these requirements:
Comply with all applicable laws and industry standards in countries where the app will be available.
Take measures to keep underage players from installing and using the app.
Ensure the countries are covered by a gambling license.
Be free to download and install and not offered as a paid app or utilize in-app billing.
Have clearly displayed “Responsible Gambling” information.
Carry an Adult-Only rating.
How much will this change things for you? It comes down to where you live. Your jurisdiction's rules determine the types of real-money gambling options and how old you must be to sign up and install the free online casino and gambling app from the Google Play Store.
