Program Overview
Google Play has launched a limited-time global pilot program for apps incorporating prediction market functions that allow for real-money transactions. The pilot program aims to give developers the ability to offer real-money prediction market apps to users in a safer and standardized way.
The pilot is open to developers from all countries and regions. Pilot apps must target users only in countries and regions where prediction markets are licensed, legally allowed and included in the pilot.
For the purposes of the pilot, prediction market apps are apps that accept assets of real-world value (including money and cryptocurrency) and offer users the ability to exchange assets of real-world value based on an event's occurrence or non-occurrence (such as event or designated contract markets).
Apps currently on Google Play that wish to provide real-money functionalities for prediction markets need to enroll in this pilot and meet its requirements by June 1, 2026.
To participate in this pilot, developers must:
- possess a Play Console account;
- declare as a “Prediction Market” on Play Console;
- meet all the pilot requirements and terms and conditions; and
- complete the application form.
Note: Apps that offer prediction markets as part of a real-money gambling or gaming license are not in scope for this pilot. Those apps should instead follow the requirements under Play’s Real Money Gambling, Games and Contests Policy and fill out the corresponding application form.
If your app is part of the pilot but licensed as a real-money gambling or gaming app in one or more of the other markets where you make your app available, you may need to offer a separate version of your app in those markets to comply with the pilot and with applicable policy.
Requirements
In order to participate in this pilot program, you must also meet the following requirements:
- Certification: Together with your application, provide valid licensing/registration documents from a financial, commodities or equivalent authority in the country or region of offer.
- Compliance with Applicable Laws: Comply with any specific regulations in the countries or regions where the app is offered.
- Organization Verification: Your Play Console Developer Account must be verified as an organization account (personal developer accounts are ineligible for this pilot).
- Application: You must complete all required questions on the application and complete the declaration in Play Console.
- Rating: Your app must maintain an Adults Only (AO) or IARC 18+ equivalent rating.
- Age Gating: Your app must prevent under-age users from using the app.
- Responsible Use: You must provide a prominent responsible use statement and allow users to set their own account limits (such as deposit caps, loss limits, and self-exclusion).
- Free to Download: Your app must be free to download.
- Policy Compliance: Your app must comply with all Google Play Developer Policies (including but not limited to Play’s Inappropriate Content Policy and Blockchain-Based Content Policy) and the Google Play Developer Distribution Agreement (“DDA”), which are incorporated herein by reference, and these Pilot Requirements and the Terms and Conditions.
Prediction market apps that offer real-money transactions can only remain on Google Play if they are enrolled in the pilot or separately comply with Google Play’s Real Money Gambling, Games and Contests Policy, as applicable.
Please submit your application here.
Guidance
This guidance is for Google Play developers that offer apps that include real-money functionalities associated with prediction markets to help them understand where and how they can offer their apps as part of the Google Play pilot program for prediction markets.
Please note that all prediction market apps offering real-money functionalities must enroll in the pilot to be available on Google Play.
The pilot program will provide Google and developers an opportunity to learn how best to support this category of apps on Google Play.
What is a prediction market app?
Prediction market apps let users evaluate the likelihood of particular future events. These events can include different economic, financial, political, social (like sporting contests), and/or other global or country-specific developments, among other areas.
Prediction market apps accept assets (including money and cryptocurrency) and offer users the ability to exchange assets of real-world value based on the event's occurrence or non-occurrence.
Which apps are in scope for the Prediction Markets pilot program?
The pilot program applies to apps that meet the pilot program requirements and offer real-money functionalities involving prediction markets - also known as event or designated contract markets.
Your app is in scope for the pilot program if:
- The app features or includes prediction market functionalities; and
- The app involves transactions involving real-world monetary value (such as payments or payouts).
Only prediction market apps that are in the pilot can provide real money functionality in relation to prediction markets on Google Play.
If your app accepts cryptocurrency as a form of payment, your app must also comply with Play’s blockchain-based content policy.
Which apps are not in scope for the Prediction Markets pilot program?
Apps that offer prediction market functionalities and/or content but which do not enable any transactions of real-world value are outside the scope of this pilot program and do not need to enroll.
- Examples include apps that display prediction markets as part of their content offering, such as news apps that do not allow users to purchase prediction contracts or engage in transactions of real-world value.
- Apps with navigational elements or features such as a “call to action” to participate in transactions of real-world value are subject to pilot rules and restrictions.
If your app offers prediction markets as part of a real-money gambling or gaming license, your app should follow the requirements under Play’s Real Money Gambling, Games and Contests Policy instead of enrolling in the pilot.
Prediction market apps that enable real-money transactions can only remain on Google Play if they are enrolled in the pilot or separately comply with Google Play’s Real Money Gambling, Games and Contests Policy, as applicable.
Which countries and regions are included in the Prediction Market pilot program?
The Google Play pilot program currently supports prediction market apps in select countries and regions that:
- allow and license prediction markets; and
- require a financial or equivalent license or registration for operation.
Currently the pilot program is accepting only US financial or equivalent licenses for apps that target the US. Additional countries and regions may be assessed and added during the duration of the pilot.
Pilot applications will be assessed on a rolling basis and can be submitted at any time during the duration of the pilot program.
Note: For the pilot program, prediction market apps may only target countries or regions included in the pilot where they hold a valid license. Additionally, your app must not be available on Google Play in countries or regions where prohibited by local law.What is required to participate in the pilot?
To apply to participate in the prediction market pilot program on Google Play, you must:
- complete the financial features declaration in Play Console and declare your app includes “Prediction markets” as a feature;
- complete the pilot application and meet all pilot requirements and terms and conditions;
- provide the necessary and current login credentials for accessing your app; and
- provide in your application a copy of the financial or equivalent license or registration information required for each target country or region in which your app will be available to users.
Example: United States
For prediction market apps targeting the US, you must meet all the pilot program requirements and hold a valid registration, for example:
- A valid registration from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as a CFTC-registered Designated Contract Market (DCM);
- A valid registration as a National Futures Association (NFA) Introducing Broker (IB); or
- A valid registration as a NFA-registered Futures Commission Merchant (FCM).
What are ways that pilot program apps should promote safe and responsible use?
A key requirement for the pilot program is that prediction market apps must:
- Prevent under-age users from using the app.
- This includes adequately verifying users to ensure they meet the age requirement.
- Promote responsible and safe use.
- Include a disclaimer in the app’s store listing as well as within the app about responsible use.
- Provide users with the ability to set their own account limits.
- This can include daily limits on how much can be deposited, gained or lost.
Are prediction market apps required to rate as Adults Only?
Yes. As outlined in the pilot program, apps must be rated as Adults Only (AO) or the IARC equivalent on Google Play.
If your app includes prediction market functionalities and content in addition to non-prediction market content, this may require you to adjust the content in your app so that it reflects your current age rating, or create a separate AO-rated app for prediction market content and/or functionalities.
Note: If the IARC rating of your app changes to Adults Only (AO) or the IARC equivalent due to prediction market content and/or functionalities in your app, you are responsible for ensuring that under-age users are prevented from using the app.
What is the duration of the pilot program?
The pilot program will enable Google Play to monitor the evolution of the regulatory landscape for prediction market apps, and assess next steps which may include updating its policies for these apps. As such, Google Play has not yet specified the duration of the pilot program.
Google Play may decide to modify, suspend or terminate the pilot at any time. In any such case, developers will be given appropriate notice.
At any point, an app may be removed from the pilot if it is determined that it fails to comply with any of the pilot’s requirements and/or the terms and conditions.