Both the Apple's App Store as well as the Google Play Store have banned gambling apps from their respective marketplaces for a wide variety of reasons. One of the reasons why these apps were banned has to do with the fact that they often use predatory techniques in an attempt to make users spend more money on the apps, something that leads to a spiral that often ends up with users spending far more money than they are able to afford.
However, in spite of the fact that both of the major app marketplaces have banned gambling content, apps that feature gambling are still able to slip through the cracks. They basically do this by posing as harmless apps that are compliant with the policies that govern these stores, only to revert back to their original form and start offering gambling services to users after they have been installed.
According to TrendMicro findings, a link is provided to users while they are using the app which will allow them to install an update that would turn the app into a gambling simulator, one that uses actual money. This means that both major app marketplaces are not doing enough to prevent such apps from entering their spaces. Apple and Google need to do more in order to protect users from predatory apps that can force them to lose quite a bit of money in the long run.
Apps are reviewed before they are allowed into marketplaces, but developers of these apps use an API that masks the true nature of the app. After the download has been completed, this API can be turned off and the web based update can be used to start gambling with the owners of the app marketplaces none the wiser about how they have been tricked by the app in question.
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However, in spite of the fact that both of the major app marketplaces have banned gambling content, apps that feature gambling are still able to slip through the cracks. They basically do this by posing as harmless apps that are compliant with the policies that govern these stores, only to revert back to their original form and start offering gambling services to users after they have been installed.
According to TrendMicro findings, a link is provided to users while they are using the app which will allow them to install an update that would turn the app into a gambling simulator, one that uses actual money. This means that both major app marketplaces are not doing enough to prevent such apps from entering their spaces. Apple and Google need to do more in order to protect users from predatory apps that can force them to lose quite a bit of money in the long run.
Apps are reviewed before they are allowed into marketplaces, but developers of these apps use an API that masks the true nature of the app. After the download has been completed, this API can be turned off and the web based update can be used to start gambling with the owners of the app marketplaces none the wiser about how they have been tricked by the app in question.
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