Google on Friday had removed Paytm app from the Play Store for violation of its policy on sport betting activities by promoting its fantasy gaming platform Paytm First Games.
The app was blocked for violation of play policies, a clarification of our policy was released earlier today ahead of the IPL tournament, the tech giant stated. Later on, the Paytm Mobile App was restored back.
With Sachin Tendulkar as its brand ambassador, Paytm First Games offers over 50 games including fantasy sports where players engage in live sporting events. The platform currently boasts of 80 million users.
Google in its blog post said, “We don’t allow online casinos or support any unregulated gambling apps that facilitate sports betting. This includes if an app leads consumers to an external website that allows them to participate in paid tournaments to win real money or cash prizes, it is a violation of our policies,”
“This includes if an app leads consumers to an external website that allows them to participate in paid tournaments to win real money or cash prizes, it is a violation of our policies. We have these policies to protect users from potential harm. When an app violates these policies, we notify the developer of the violation and remove the app from Google Play until the developer brings the app into compliance. And in the case where there are repeated policy violations, we may take more serious action which may include terminating Google Play Developer accounts. Our policies are applied and enforced on all developers consistently.”
