Google Mandates Android 15 for Casino Apps

Key Takeaways:

• Google enforces Android 15 targeting for new and updated gambling apps starting August 31, 2025, to enhance security and performance.
• Compliance ensures access to advanced features like improved encryption and low-latency 5G integration, vital for fraud prevention.
• Non-compliant apps risk removal from Google Play, impacting operator reach in key markets.

Google has updated its Play Store policies, requiring all new app submissions and updates—including those for real-money gambling platforms—to target Android 15 (API level 35) effective August 31, 2025. Existing apps must align with Android 14 or higher to remain visible to users on newer devices. This directive, detailed in the July 10, 2025, policy announcement, aims to standardize developer practices and bolster platform integrity amid rising mobile threats.

The change stems from Google's ongoing efforts to mitigate vulnerabilities in the Android ecosystem, where gambling apps handle sensitive financial data. Android 15 introduces fortified security layers, such as enhanced runtime permissions and scoped storage, which limit unauthorized data access—a common vector for fraud in i Gaming. For mobile casinos, this translates to mandatory adoption of biometric authentication and real-time anomaly detection, reducing risks like account takeovers that surged 64% between 2022 and 2024, per industry reports. Developers can request extensions until November 1, 2025, via Play Console, but delays could sideline apps during peak adoption periods.

Why does this matter? Mobile-first operators, who derive over 70% of revenue from apps, face intensified scrutiny as 5G rollout amplifies connectivity demands. Non-compliance could exclude apps from Google Play's 2.5 billion users, particularly in Europe and Asia where Android dominates. For users, the upgrade promises seamless experiences: faster load times for live dealer streams via 5G optimizations and proactive fraud shields, like AI-driven pattern monitoring to flag suspicious bets. This aligns with broader trends, including biometric logins now standard in top platforms, ensuring deposits via Apple Pay or Google Pay process without interruption.

Implications ripple across the sector. Operators must accelerate SDK upgrades—tools like Android Studio's SDK Upgrade Assistant can streamline this—potentially increasing development costs by 15-20% short-term. However, long-term gains include lower breach liabilities; average i Gaming fraud incidents cost $4.45 million, a figure halved by proactive tech like Android 15's enhanced TLS protocols. Users benefit from elevated trust, with features like adaptive MFA curbing phishing, which doubled in 2024. Regulators, including the UK Gambling Commission, view such mandates favorably, potentially easing approvals for compliant apps in restricted jurisdictions.

In parallel, this policy dovetails with 5G-driven UX enhancements, enabling high-definition multiplayer sessions without lag—critical as mobile gaming eclipses desktops. Fraud prevention evolves too: integrated AI now detects 90% of illicit fund transfers via structured withdrawals, per Veriff's 2025 report. Operators ignoring this risk market share erosion to agile competitors like those leveraging blockchain for provable fairness.

As i Gaming matures, Google's move underscores a shift toward resilient, user-centric ecosystems. It compels innovation while safeguarding against cyber threats, positioning compliant platforms for sustained growth in a $100 billion mobile market.

Sources:

• Google Play Console Policy Announcement
• Sumsub i Gaming Fraud Report