Google opens Play Store advertising to skill-based games
What's the story
Google is going to change its "Gambling and Games" advertising policy, starting April 14, 2025. The updated policy will allow platforms hosting skill-based games with real-money prizes (like chess and pay-to-play multiplayer games) to advertise on the Play Store. At present, only rummy and online fantasy sports are permitted to advertise in India under this policy.
Policy expansion
New policy to include non-casino games
The updated policy will widen its scope to cover online "non-casino" games, including skill-based ones. These games can now advertise on the Play Store, as long as they meet certain criteria defined by Google. The change is particularly related to advertising and doesn't impact Google's policy on the listing of online gaming platforms on its app store.
Game classification
Definition of online non-casino games
Google's updated policy describes an online non-casino game as one "played for a price of something of value, where the outcome is not determined wholly or in part by an element of chance." This means any online gaming platform providing money as a reward will qualify to advertise, except in countries where gambling ads are banned. This opens advertising opportunities for several players in India, but government is yet to provide classification of games of skill versus games of chance.
Ad limitations
Current advertising restrictions and future prospects
As per the current policy, only rummy and online fantasy sports can advertise in India, barring Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, Odisha, Sikkim, and Telangana. Other casino gaming platforms involving real money cannot advertise. However, platforms offering skill-based games such as chess could advertise if there's no real-money prize pool involved. This will change for a lot of platforms starting April thanks to Google's revised policy.
Industry reaction
Industry response to Google's revised policy
The updated ad policy has been welcomed by real-money gaming platforms in India. WinZO, a social gaming app with over 200 million users in India and Brazil, has called the change "monumental" for India's online gaming industry. Co-founder Saumya Singh Rathore said the policy change "empowers innovation, levels the playing field, and enables us to reach deeper markets through the Google Ad Network—in India and beyond."