CCI will investigate Google’s strict Play Store policy on real money games
India’s competition watchdog on Thursday ordered a probe into Google’s restrictive policy on real-money games on its platform, following a complaint from online gaming platform WinZO that called it discriminatory.
The move adds to Google’s regulatory woes in India, where it has already faced at least two penalties for abusing its dominant position in the Android operating system market.
Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment made after hours in India and over Thanksgiving in the United States.
WinZO, which offers real money games, first approached the Competition Commission of India (CCI) in 2022 after a change in the US company’s gaming app policy continued to exclude WinZO from Google’s Play Store even though it accepted some of its competitors.
The updated Google policy allowed real money games for fantasy sports and rummy, but WinZO was rejected because it also offered games in other categories that Google does not accept, such as the Indian game carrom, puzzles and car racing.
“By giving preferential treatment to certain app categories, Google is effectively creating a two-tiered market in which some developers receive superior access and visibility, while others are discriminated against and thus placed at a competitive disadvantage,” a copy of the CCI order said.
A CCI official is expected to complete his investigation into the matter within 60 days.
© Thomson Reuters 2024
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