India’s competition regulator, the Competition Commission of India (CCI), has initiated an investigation into Google’s restrictive policies surrounding real-money games on its Play Store, following a complaint from online gaming platform WinZO.
The company alleges that Google’s actions are discriminatory and favor certain developers over others.
The inquiry intensifies the regulatory scrutiny Google faces in India, where the tech giant has already been penalized multiple times for abusing its dominant position in the Android operating system market.
WinZO, which offers a variety of real-money games, first raised the issue with the CCI in 2022 after Google updated its gaming policies.
According to WinZO, the new rules excluded its app from the Play Store while allowing some competitors to continue operating.
While Google’s updated policy permits real-money games like fantasy sports and rummy, WinZO’s offerings, which include games such as carrom, puzzles, and car racing, were deemed non-compliant due to their divergence from the accepted categories.
The CCI's order, which was issued Thursday, cites the creation of a "two-tier market" by Google, where certain developers are given preferential treatment. This arrangement, the commission says, leaves other developers at a significant competitive disadvantage.
“By granting preferential treatment to select app categories, Google effectively creates a two-tier market where some developers are accorded superior access and visibility while others are discriminated against and, thus, left with a competitive disadvantage,” the CCI order reads.
The investigation is expected to conclude within 60 days, with a CCI official overseeing the process.