Google allows DFS apps into US Play store
Tech giant makes first concession on blanket ban of gambling-related content as DraftKings and FanDuel apps go live in US version of Androidâs primary app store
Google has allowed two leading daily fantasy sports apps into its Play store for the first time in a move which appears to soften its stance on gambling-related content.
Both DraftKings and FanDuel now have apps with full functionality available in Google Playâs US store, having previously offered only limited apps without deposit capabilities in the store.
However, the move is unlikely to spur a change in Googleâs wider policy on gambling content in the Play store, with Fortune magazine reporting the apps are a part of a âclosed, limited pilotâ in the United States.
DFS is not technically considered gambling in the US and so has avoided many of the restrictions placed on the industry, with the verticalâs status as a âgame of skillâ affording it a âcarve outâ in the landmark 2006 UIGEA legislation.
The guidelines for the Google Play store continue to prohibit âcontent or services that facilitate online gamblingâ, but it appears to have stepped down from the previous rules which banned âgames of skill which offer prizes of cashâ.
While it is understood there is little prospect of a broader move to introduce gambling content to the Play store, the move should prove a major boost for DraftKings and FanDuel, which previously had to persuade Android users to turn off security settings and install a separate file to use their apps.