Google proposes opening Play Store in India to all real-money games that meet ‘game of skill’ criteria

Google India has proposed a new framework to the Competition Commission of India (CCI) that could open up the Play Store to a wider range of real-money games (RMGs) — provided they can establish themselves as “games of skill.”

The move follows an official notification from the CCI inviting public comments and objections on the proposal.

The tech giant’s proposal centers around modifying its Developer Program Policies (DPP) to allow more RMGs on the Play Store, as long as developers can demonstrate their games rely on player skill rather than chance.

In line with Indian legal precedents — such as the Supreme Court’s 2021 judgment classifying fantasy sports as games of skill — Google is seeking to expand access for RMG apps in a compliant and transparent manner.

To qualify, developers must first self-declare their apps as lawful under Indian regulations.

Following this, they must also submit supporting evidence that the games are skill-based. For added credibility, developers may obtain certification from recognised third-party bodies such as the All India Gaming Federation (AIGF), E-Gaming Federation (EGF), or Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS).

This proposed policy update comes after criticism of Google’s earlier pilot programme, launched in 2022, which allowed only fantasy sports and rummy apps on the Play Store. WinZO, a gaming company offering board games and 2D platformers, filed a complaint against this policy, alleging it created an unfair competitive landscape by excluding other games of skill. This led to a formal CCI investigation into Google’s practices last year.

Google is now working to broaden access while maintaining policy integrity. All RMGs allowed under this new system will still need to comply with existing Play Store terms, including the Developer Distribution Agreement (DDA).

A Google spokesperson shared with TechCrunch: “We're pleased the CCI is market testing our proposed framework for real-money games (RMGs) in India. This development reflects our constructive discussions with the CCI and the Indian developer community, along with our commitment to building a more open and safe ecosystem for RMG apps across Google Play and Google Ads.”

Pending CCI approval, Google plans to implement the changes within 120 days for Play Store access and within 150 days for related advertising policies.