Apple Store Gambling Policy
Each day is a new beginning, as for the gambling industry each day brings new provocations or unwelcome situations. This time the troubles come from the new policy imposed by the Apple Store.
Apple had a perfectly clear position towards gambling apps in the past, but the new rules could overturn the gambling industry. The change in concept is supposed to have a strong impact on sports betting and real-money games.
Apple promotes, enables, and profits from games downloaded from its App Store and played by numerous Ohio residents that constitute illegal gambling under the statutory law and the strong public. Apple dropped a bombshell last week when it announced iOS gambling apps now have to be built natively rather than as HTML container apps. However, due to strict federal and state regulations, the Apple app store does not allow US customers to access real money gambling applications. Rather, legitimately licensed and regulated gambling destinations located outside of the US can legally offer their services to American residents through the use of mobile browsers.
The problematic issue relates to Guideline 4.7. of the Review Guidelines, that “HTML5 games distributed in apps may not provide access to real money gaming, lotteries, or charitable donations.” The Guideline also completes that “this functionality is only appropriate for code that’s embedded in the binary and can be reviewed by Apple.” Important that the new gambling apps have to be revised for publication in Apple’s App Store. As for the existing apps, the operators have to make sure they comply with the Guideline policy by September 3, 2019.
App Store Native Functionality
Apple keeps a good reputation and tries to be unique with regards to the gambling market. In this direction, the reviewed guideline submits strict rules for gambling publications.
As usual, the gaming developers use websites as apps through HTML5 technologies to publish their products. It is evident that sports betting and online casino apps are coded with HTML5 as a mobile version of a website and is not solely created for Apple platform and iOS devices.
From now on operators have to meet the guideline requirement in order to publish in the App Store – which means all the gambling apps have to be developed natively for iOS.
To conclude, all the new apps shall comply with the new rules, being developing automatically for iOS. Otherwise, the apps not native to iOS risk to be rejected from Apple Store on the deadline date.
Apple Trap for Online Gambling Apps
The new guideline was updated to develop the Apple platform and protect the consumers. Nevertheless, the mobile gambling industry is eventually cornered by the new policy. Despite the fact the native apps requested by Apple has many strengths, such as quick loading, individualization and new gaming performances, they are quite difficult to be drafted, requiring development costs. In this way, powerful providers could finance their projects as required the new guideline, while for the small companies the new rules could be a total failure.
Additionally the remained three months predetermined by Apple are not enough for many developers to comply the new strategies.
In consequences, big fish eats small fish, and little companies can miss a large customer.
However, Apple remains on its strict position: if operators choose to remain in App Store, they should respect the new rules.
Under the Play Pennsylvania report, the online sports betting and online casino gaming in Pennsylvania were not launched because of the Apple’s Guideline.
Nevertheless, SugarHouse Casino launched the state’s first sportsbook In May 2019, which would be broadcasted live with online gaming.
Early this year many European gambling operators proclaimed having difficulties to publish their apps in App Store, hoping to remove them from Guideline 4.2: Minimum Functionality of the App Store Review Guidelines, which reads that an app “should include features, content, and UI that elevate it beyond a repackaged website.”
Holiday Returns Policy
Items purchased at the Apple Online Store that are received between 10 November and 25 December 2020 may be returned up to 8 January 2021. Please note that all other terms and conditions provided in the Apple Online Store Sales and Refunds Policy are still applicable with respect to such items purchased. All purchases made after 25 December 2020 are subject to the Standard Returns Policy.
Standard Return Policy
Apple Store Gambling Policy 2020
There are a few important things to keep in mind when returning a product you purchased online from Apple:
- You have 14 calendar days to return an item from the date you received it.
- Only items that have been purchased directly from Apple, either online or at an Apple Retail Store, can be returned to Apple. Apple products purchased through other retailers must be returned in accordance with their respective returns and refunds policy.
- Please ensure that the item you're returning is repackaged with all the cords, adapters and documentation that were included when you received it.
There are some items, however, that are ineligible for return, including:
Apple Store Gambling Policy Online
- Opened software*
- Electronic Software Downloads
- Software Up-to-Date Program Products (software upgrades)
- Apple Gift Cards (includes previous generation Apple Store Gift Cards and App Store & iTunes Gift Cards)
- Apple Developer products (membership, technical support incidents, WWDC tickets)
- Apple Print Products
*You can return software, provided that it has not been installed on any computer. Software that contains a printed software license may not be returned if the seal or sticker on the software media packaging is broken.
iPhone and iPad Returns — Wireless Service Cancellation
Apple Store Gambling Policy 2019
Wireless carriers have different service-cancellation policies. Returning your iPhone or iPad may not automatically cancel or reset your wireless account; you are responsible for your wireless service agreement and for any applicable fees associated with your wireless account. Please contact your provider for more information.