Google Play is conducting a pilot programme enabling the India distribution of real-money games daily fantasy sports (DFS) and rummy apps by developers incorporated in the country.
The pilot will run for one year starting September 28 this year and it will collate learnings and retain a safe experience for users. “We are constantly exploring ways for local developers to build successful businesses and offer delightful experiences on Google Play. Through this pilot program, we are taking a measured approach that will help us collate learnings and retain an enjoyable and safe experience for our users,” said a Google Spokesperson.
DFS and Rummy apps will be subject to the terms and conditions of the pilot, including complying with local laws and regulations, ownership of requisite licenses and permits where required, and safeguards to ensure the app is accessible to only users over 18 years of age and residing in states where the game is not currently prohibited under local law. Google Play policies shall apply for the pilot as well.
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Developers are also required to provide users with redressal mechanism and customer support.
Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are among states that have banned real-money games. Google Play is getting into this segment as DFS and Rummy games are considered as skill-based games
DFS contestants use their knowledge to select or manage rosters of simulated athletes whose performance corresponds with the actual performance of athletes in sports teams or in events. The outcome of DFS games depends on how the performances of participants’ fantasy roster choices compare with the performance of others’ roster choices.
Rummy is a set of card games in which a player strategise, memorise the fall of cards, and arrange valid card sets and/or sequences by picking and discarding cards from decks, offered in either 10-, 13-, 21-, or 27- formats, and in accordance with the rules followed for the offline versions of the same formats conventionally played in India.
The news is of significance for real-gaming app developers in India. Some players in the segment include unicorns like Dream11 and Mobile Premier League (MPL).
According to a Redseer report, the online skill-based real-money gaming (RMG) market in India will be worth some $3.8 billion by 2024 on the back of growing smartphone penetration, low cost of data and digital payment infrastructure that allows individuals access to instant real-time inter-bank transactions.
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