Google to introduce real-money gaming apps on Android in India: What it means for you

Google is ready to allow more real money games to be published on the Play Store for Android users. This means that people will get more options/apps from which they can earn real money, which has been a limited space for Google to date. The company is bringing these changes in many countries including India from June 2024.

The real-money gaming (RMG) category is a big revenue earner in other countries, and given India’s projected market for online gaming and spending, Google clearly feels the need to enter the market, especially in this In the gaming vertical.

The RMG section will include daily fantasy sports (DFS) and rummy apps for users in India. Google says that once the pilot project is completed by June 30 this year, users will start seeing them available on the Play Store from where they can install the apps and play the corresponding games on their phones.

As explained in this Android blog post, “After that time, developers can distribute RMG apps on Google Play to users in India, beyond DFS and Rummy, in compliance with local laws and our updated policy.” While Android users may be happy to hear that Google has changed its mind about the RMG segment, developers will be keeping a close eye on how the company plans to charge them for app commission.

As you may know, Google charges between 15 to 30 percent from app developers, but this decision may not make sense for these gaming apps, especially in India, where they are already taxed by the country’s government. is being installed.

Google realizes the different nature of this market, and talks about working on a better model for developers. “We will also evolve our service fee model for RMG to reflect the value that Google Play provides. “We are working closely with developers to ensure that our new approach reflects the unique economics of this industry and the different developer earnings models,” as explained in the blog post.

The company has always maintained strict control over apps and policies that comply with local laws. It will need to be clear about its strategy in the country, which may or may not see many changes in the coming months.