Apple takes gambling apps off the table for kids

By

iPhone slots gambling
Kids can now play iPhone gambling apps, but not for much longer.
Photo: Hot Vegas Slot Machine Games!

Apple will soon allow parents to block children’s access to all games that include “Frequent/Intense Simulated Gambling” no matter where they are in the world. As it stands now, not all gambling applications are currently rated as 17+. That’s apparently about to change.

Gambling apps are for adults only

A note sent from Apple to developers this morning and obtained by Cult of Mac says, in part: “To ensure that our global age rating system continues to help make the App Store safe for kids, apps that feature Frequent/Intense Simulated Gambling will be rated 17+ in all countries and regions starting August 20, 2019.”

To set age limits on software installed from the App Store, go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions and slide On the toggle switch at the top of the screen. Then scroll down to Content Restrictions > Apps and set the appropriate age range: 4+, 9+, 12+, 17+ or Allow All Apps.

Apple seems iffy on gambling

The iPhone-maker seems to have a love/hate relationship with gambling. It allows apps that offer real-money gaming as long as they have the necessary licensing and permissions in the countries where they’re used, and they must be geo-restricted to those locations. These apps also must be free to download.

But last year, the company blocked all gambling applications created by individual developers, not businesses. This held true whether players played with real money or simulated bankrolls.

To enforce its rules, Apple insists that iPhone gambling apps must be more than wrappers for external HTML5 code. The guidelines say: “HTML5 games distributed in apps may not provide access to real money gaming, lotteries, or charitable donations, and may not support digital commerce. This functionality is only appropriate for code that’s embedded in the binary and can be reviewed by Apple.”

Newsletters

Daily round-ups or a weekly refresher, straight from Cult of Mac to your inbox.

  • The Weekender

    The week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.