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regular-article-logo Saturday, 23 November 2024

WinZO sues Google

Move to stop the techgiant from allowing real-money games for fantasy sports and rummy on its platform

Reuters New Delhi Published 21.09.22, 01:19 AM
For years, Alphabet Inc unit Google allowed no games involving real money in India, but this month said such games for fantasy sports and rummy could join its Play Store marketplace in the country as part of a year-long pilot programme.

For years, Alphabet Inc unit Google allowed no games involving real money in India, but this month said such games for fantasy sports and rummy could join its Play Store marketplace in the country as part of a year-long pilot programme. File picture

Indian online gaming platform WinZO has sued Google to stop the tech giant from allowing real-money games for fantasy sports and rummy on its platform, saying that Google’s doing so is discriminatory, a legal filing seen by Reuters showed.

WinZO’s app offers real-money games in those categories but also in many others that Google still will not accept, such as carrom, puzzles and car racing, and will, therefore, not be eligible to benefit from the newly adopted Google policy.

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For years, Alphabet Inc unit Google allowed no games involving real money in India, but this month said such games for fantasy sports and rummy could join its Play Store marketplace in the country as part of a year-long pilot programme.

Google said in a policy update that those two categories comprised games in which contestants used their knowledge of athletic events and athletes, strategised or memorised the fall of playing cards.

It did not mention other game formats and their treatment. In its lawsuit filed at the Delhi high court, WinZO said it had contacted Google on September 10 to contest the updated policy, saying it was“unfair”.

WinZO had got no response, forcing it to seek court relief, stated the company’s filing, which described Google’s decision as one that “amounts to unfair trade practice.”

It further argued that “all games of skill enjoy constitutional protection.”

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