Apple Places Gambling Ads Next to Kids Games
Apple was forced to temporarily pull gambling ads after placing them along side kids games and apps for gambling addiction.
Apple had introduced new spaces on the App Store Tuesday, which led to developers being inundated with online gambling advertisements.
The situation only got worse on Wednesday after an ad for Jackpot World appeared beneath a suggestion for the app Recoverme used by those seeking help for gambling addiction. A horse betting app was also discovered on that same page.
Developer Marco Ardent tweeted out:
"Now my app’s product page shows gambling ads, which I’m really not OK with. Apple shouldn’t be OK with it, either. The App Store has corrupted such a great company so deeply. They make so much from gambling and manipulative IAPs that they don’t even see the problem anymore."
Now my app’s product page shows gambling ads, which I’m really not OK with.
— Marco Arment (@marcoarment) October 25, 2022
Apple shouldn’t be OK with it, either.
The App Store has corrupted such a great company so deeply. They make so much from gambling and manipulative IAPs that they don’t even see the problem anymore. https://t.co/MnNlf7k0kT
Jason Eccles tweeted back at him:
"@marcoarment You know what’s worse than having to pay hundreds of $$$ to try out Apple’s new ad scheme? Seeing that they’re advertising online gambling on @OvercastFM’s page on the App Store."
One can only imagine the horror felt when a dad went to look up kids' apps only to discover the gambling placements.
Simon B. Støvring tweeted:
"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."
He then posed the question: "Did Apple really build and test ads on the product pages, discovered the high number of gambling ads and thought: 1. This is good. This is the direction we want to take our products. 2. And that ads are perfectly fine to display on kids apps?"
In a statement shared with MacRumors Thursday, Apple offered little further explanation as to what caused the mishap, saying only "we have paused ads related to gambling and a few other categories on App Store product pages".
Apple's grandiose plans for its ad platform included tripling its current advertising revenue to at least $10 billion per year within the near future, according to Bloomberg.
- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
