Apple’s New Age Rating is Good for Gamers
Apple is set to change the way age ratings work on their store, including more clear indicators for gambling and contests. This is great news for gamblers and gamers alike.
There will no more confusion among those who want something very specific, because gambling and contests will be separated. Equally, there should be fewer issues with accidentally downloading something that’s inappropriate or unwanted.
This means gamblers will find it easier to get what they want, while gamers won’t inadvertently find themselves flooded with paid “bonus games”.
How the Age Rating is Changing for Gamblers
Online gambling is huge right now, thanks to easy-to-access websites and apps. Apple has a lot to do with at least half of that. As it stands, you can find promo codes for a site, like Virgin Bet for instance, and play to your hearts content. You know what you’re getting, and you know what it’s going to cost you.
That’s all good and fair. But there are apps and games – the latter in particular – that try to hide what they are.
Apple announced the change was coming earlier this week.
They said: “To help you describe your app’s content more precisely, the age rating settings in App Store Connect have been refined. The Gambling and Contests setting is now split into two settings, allowing you to indicate these content types separately. They’re also indicated separately on the App Store.”
What this means is that the age rating will better reflect what’s actually in the game or app, and change accordingly. It could impact on who can play what on an individual device. It could also mean it stops being sold in certain places entirely.
Impact of the Age Rating
This is good for pretty much everybody. Anyone who has paid attention knows Apple has come under fire for its handling of gambling apps and loot boxes. While they’re not directly related, it’s a change that’ll have wider benefits.
Apple was accused of profiting from illegal gambling in a class-action lawsuit earlier this year. The suit claims certain games break gambling laws in 25 of America’s states.
Loot boxes also proved controversial, and have been subject to many criticisms over the years. It has been warned that loot boxes are very similar to gambling and that large numbers of children are opening loot boxes.
The UK government is already considering whether gambling laws should cover such loot boxes.
The House of Lords said loot boxes should be looked at as “games of chance” and be included in new gambling reforms.
The changes – like with the Apple age rating – will help protect the most vulnerable. It’ll also mean more protections for those who enjoy gambling responsibly, and for gamers tired of not getting what they wanted.
Conclusion
It’ll be interesting to see how the changes to age ratings will impact illegal casinos.
The best advice on this issue is to do your research and stick to sites that are safe. Fair prices and good odds must be a given.
Article By Mat Growcott
Mat Growcott has been a long-time member of the gaming press. He's written two books and a web series, and doesn't have nearly enough time to play the games he writes about.
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