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In September 2022, Google introduced the pilot programme for the real-money game (RMG) developers to launch Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) and Rummy gaming titles with restrictions on its Play Store in India, Brazil and Mexico.
The pilot programme which is expected to end on January 15, 2024 has been successful, the company said.
Now, Google has announced that it will extend the grace period by another six months up to June 30, 2024, and will allow more such RMG apps this year, including new game types and operators in India.
However, as per the new policy guidelines, the app developers have to pay service fees to Google to sustain the Android and Play ecosystems. The fee details are expected to be revealed when the pilot programme ends in the second half of 2024.
Also, companies have to strictly comply with the local law and have enough user safety mechanisms to curb addiction.
And, the policy ensures the game developers follow fair practices and not use any tricks to restrict the gamer to earn more money.
Also, it should be noted that the central finance ministry and GST Council are yet to conclude about regulations and taxation slabs on online games. So, RMG app developer companies will have to pay tax to the government in addition to Google Play Store's gatekeeping fee.
There is possibility that RMG app developers have to spend a significant sum of fees and local tax to run their business.
For developers in the Google Play Pilot Program for distributing DFS and Rummy apps to users in India, we are extending the grace period for pilot apps to remain on Google Play until June 30, 2024 when the new policy will take effect. 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,Karan Gambhir – Director, Global Trust and Safety Partnerships
Google has revealed that it plans to expand RMG apps' availability with restrictions to more regions later in the year.
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