Apple opened up to advertising for casino gambling along with all types of betting apps. The move was controversial since many states closely regulate or outlaw these types of gambling.
Bring on the gambling ads
Users were complaining that casino games were appearing in the “you may also like” section alongside children’s games. And gambling addiction recovery apps were popping up alongside gambling apps.
The drama started on Tuesday when the App Store introduced brand new ad spaces. And developers started complaining that they were being deluged with online casinos, and sports and horse betting apps.
Users took to Twitter to complain about the bizarre, sometimes even sketchy ads pouring onto phones. Gambling ads, odd dating apps, and hard right and left political videos, were just a few things that were being marketed.
I went to Apple’s “Our Favorite Kids’ Apps” section of the App Store, selected an app, and got presented with an ad for gambling. Not okay, Apple. pic.twitter.com/F0WUENr9z5
— Simon B. Støvring (@simonbs) October 26, 2022
One developer, Simon B. Støvring, posted a screenshot of a casino game ad showing up below his text-editing app, Runestone. And claimed he had visited his app’s product page 10 times and noticed ads for gambling apps showed up on three visits.