Google proposes to open Play Store to more real-money games in India

Google has proposed sweeping changes to its Play Store and advertising policies in India, aiming to allow more real-money gaming apps onto its platforms in a bid to settle an ongoing antitrust case with a local online gaming platform WinZO.

On Wednesday, India’s competition watchdog issued a public notice (PDF) inviting comments on a “commitment proposal” from Google, offering to expand access to its Play Store and advertising policy for more real-money gaming apps in the South Asian market.

Google proposed to replace its current pilot program by allowing the distribution of all real-money games in the country — which are “self-declared by developers as permissible online real-money games as per applicable laws/jurisprudence” — on Google Play.

However, the developers are also required to submit proof that an authoritative third-party body has declared the app to be a “game of skill,” the company proposed.

In September 2022, Google launched a pilot program to allow daily fantasy sports and rummy games on its Play Store in India. The move came after a 2021 ruling by India’s Supreme Court that categorized fantasy sports as “games of skill” rather than gambling — and therefore “legal.”

Shortly after the pilot launched, online gaming platform WinZO filed a complaint with India’s antitrust watchdog, calling the program discriminatory for excluding other real-money games. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) took up the case and, in November that year, ordered a formal probe into Google’s policies for real-money gaming apps.

In January last year, Google announced it would expand support for real-money gaming apps on the Play Store in India, Brazil, and Mexico. However, the company paused that rollout in June 2024 and stated it would continue to allow apps already included in the 2022 India pilot to remain on the platform.

Alongside offering to expand its Play Store for all real-money games self-declared by developers, Google proposed to update its Developer Program Policies to reflect the update. The company also stated that it would finalize an “appropriate business model” for real-money game developers.

Similarly, Google has proposed to allow “games of skill” to be advertised in India where the app maker provides proof by a third party that it is a game of skill and not gambling.

The recognized third parties in this case could even be industry associations such as the All India Gaming Federation, E-Gaming Federation, or the Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports.

Google said it would begin allowing compliant real-money games on its Play Store in India within 120 days of the CCI’s approval, while related ad policy changes would take effect within 150 days of the regulator’s order.

“We’re pleased the CCI is market testing our proposed framework for real-money games (RMGs) in India,” a Google spokesperson said in a statement emailed to TechCrunch. “This development reflects our constructive discussions with the CCI and the Indian developer community along with our commitment to building a more open and safe ecosystem for RMG apps across Google Play and Google Ads.”

Notably, the proposal, if it is accepted by the CCI after public feedback, would benefit Google, which stands to earn a share of revenue from a broader range of real-money gaming apps and their ads on its platforms.

Real-money gaming dominates India’s online gaming market, accounting for nearly 86% of total industry revenue — ₹274.38 billion ($3 billion) in 2024 — per a joint report by WinZO and the Interactive Entertainment and Innovation Council (IEIC) released earlier this year. However, its share is expected to decline slightly to 80% by 2029, as non-real-money games grow in popularity and the overall market expands to ₹785.51 billion ($8.9 billion).

Google’s latest proposal could also offer a boost to developers currently distributing their apps outside the Play Store — including via APK files on their own websites. However, the CCI’s investigation is still ongoing, and the regulator has yet to determine whether Google engaged in discriminatory practices in this space.

The probe adds to a growing list of antitrust challenges for Google in India, where the U.S.-headquartered tech giant has already been fined for allegedly abusing its dominance through Android and the Play Store. The company recently approached the Supreme Court to appeal one of these rulings and contest the CCI’s findings. The case is expected to be listed for hearing next month.

“We look forward to continuing to work with the CCI and the wider RMG ecosystem, and are confident our proposed framework will empower Indian developers, grow the digital economy, and prioritize user safety,” Google’s spokesperson said.