When it comes to online gambling, the majority of players want to be able to access their gaming options via a mobile device. With mobile gaming, players can easily play casino or poker games, as well as enjoy sports betting or the lottery where available, from any location. Mobile has quickly taken over as a must-offer for states in the US who want to be successful with online gaming. However, a recent change to the App Store terms of service of Apple have caused an issue for the legal online gambling landscape of the US.
Updated Rules
On Monday, Apple released their updated rules that include new protocols that must be followed. These new protocols have an impact on the online gambling industry in the United States. According to the changes, HTML5 games that are distributed in applications cannot provide real money gaming access, as well as lotteries, charitable donations or support digital commerce.
This type of function is only allowed for code that is embedded in binary and can be reviewed by the Apple company. New apps must follow this protocol and existing apps have to start following the new guideline by the 3rd of September.
Apple wants to be able to moderate the applications by having them provided in iOS. But why the strict requirement? For operators to offer online gambling, they must complete strict reviews from gaming regulators. Does Apple need to check for more than what regulators are already reviewing?
In general, HTLM5 is a coding language used for online casino games. The code will work on an iPhone but it is not designed to work on just one system. Apple wants apps to be converted to the native iOS platform of the company.
It seems that online casino operators may have been caught in a gaming war, so to speak. The guideline changes are not only affecting online casinos but also any brand that offers HTML5 games like social sites. Apple is currently working on a new product known as Apple Arcade. If competitors are unable to get their apps ready based on the new guidelines, then Apple will offer the only mobile arcade platform for iOS devices, which would put them in a nice position.
However, other companies are not happy with Apple’s decisions. Already, two developers of applications have filed a lawsuit against the company claiming they hold a monopoly that should not exist.
What’s Next for Online Casinos?
Because of the changes, online casino operators will have to make significant changes in order to offer their services via iOS. The standard of the casino industry is now HTML5. So, new engineers will have to be used to update the gaming titles from suppliers. This could be hundreds to thousands of games. This will take a great deal of time and that is not the only steps that must be completed.
Paperwork will have to be submitted to regulators in the state where online gambling will be offered. With new code, each app will have to be reviewed, tested and then approved. This will take a ton of time and will see operations pushed back even further.
So, will companies make the move? Is iOS that important that all the steps and time will be spent to be able to offer services via Apple devices? Only time will tell. We may see that online gaming operators stick to HTLM5 services and work alongside Android devices for now instead of worrying about the Apple issue.
