Tim is a journalist, author, and columnist with two decades of experience writing for outlets like the BBC, the Guardian, and Chosun Ilbo. He is an expert on regulation, business, and industry and is fluent...
Read Full BioGoogle has scrapped its ban on sports betting and online casino applications on its Google Play Store in Brazil, opening the door to legal betting on so-called Tigrinho slot machine games.
Veja Nogocios reported that Google will now allow the hosting of sports betting and online casino applications on its Brazil Play Store.
‘Tigrinho’ Betting Apps Heading to Google Play?
Previously, Google only allowed downloads for a small handful of betting apps in Brazil. These included those operated by the state-owned financial provider Caixa Econômica Federal and fixed-quota sports betting on platforms approved by the Ministry of Finance’s Prizes and Betting Secretariat.
These include the Loterias CAIXA app, which allows Android users to place bets on official CAIXA Lotteries.
This led many Android users to download their apps on “unofficial stores” or place bets via their browsers on the bookmaker and casino operators’ websites.
This was particularly true of Tigrinho slots games, whose popularity has skyrocketed in recent months in Brazil.
Originally, Tigrinho (“little tiger” in Portuguese) referred to an online gambling game named Fortune Tiger.
However, scores of similar and derivative titles have since sprung up in Brazil. None of these have been downloadable via the Play Store, despite their enormous popularity.
Last year, Tigrinho tutorials and “investment” tips took Brazilian social media platforms by storm.
Several Brazilian media outlets suggested that Google’s latest move will open the door to above-board Tigrinho downloads.
Companies that want to distribute their apps on Google Play must submit an official request to Google.
Only Secretariat-registered firms will be allowed to apply. App operators have also been instructed to ensure that they do not allow people under 18 years of age to download their software. Apps must also carry warnings about responsible gambling.
Google will also allow firms to promote their gaming platforms on Google Ads, provided they agree to the firm’s terms of use.
Will Apple Follow Suit?
Media outlets in Brazil claim that several companies in the gambling sector have already completed the application process and are awaiting a response from the Play Store.
They note that the first gambling apps “should start appearing on the platform in a matter of days.”
Apple, meanwhile, is yet to comment on the possibility of offering iOS online gambling and gaming apps in its Brazilian App Store.
In April, the Ministry of Justice ordered all online gambling platform operators in the country to register with a state-run complaints platform.
