Apple Pauses Gambling Ads in App Store Pages After Developers Complain [Updated] - MacRumors

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Wednesday October 26, 2022 4:00 p.m. PDT by Joe Rossignol

Update October 26 3:31 p.m.: In a connection shared with MacRumors today, Apple said it has paused gambling ads successful App Store app pages, with nary further details provided:

We person paused ads related to gambling and a fewer different categories connected App Store merchandise pages.

Original communicative from October 25 follows.

Apple contiguous rolled retired caller advertisement placements successful the App Store connected the iPhone, allowing developers to advertise their apps successful much places, including the main Today tab and successful the "You Might Also Like" section astatine the bottommost of idiosyncratic app listings.

new app store ads contiguous tab
Just hours later, respective salient developers person complained astir distasteful ads for gambling apps appearing successful their ain App Store listings extracurricular of their control, including Marco Arment, Simon Støvring, and others. The contented was besides highlighted successful a tweet shared by MacStories editor-in-chief Federico Viticci.

Now my app’s merchandise leafage shows gambling ads, which I’m truly not OK with. Apple shouldn’t beryllium OK with it, either. The App Store has corrupted specified a large institution truthful deeply. They marque truthful overmuch from gambling and manipulative IAPs that they don’t adjacent spot the occupation anymore. https://t.co/MnNlf7k0kT — Marco Arment (@marcoarment) October 25, 2022

With Apple’s caller changes to ads connected the App Store, your merchandise pages whitethorn present amusement ads for gambling apps. One of my merchandise pages conscionable did that 😞 pic.twitter.com/CjbrXpajX0 — Simon B. Støvring (@simonbs) October 25, 2022

"Now my app's merchandise leafage shows gambling ads, which I'm truly not OK with," tweeted Arment. "Apple shouldn't beryllium OK with it, either."

As noted by Arment, Apple provides advertisers with the prime to person their advertisement shown successful app categories antithetic than their ain app's category, allowing ads for gambling ads to look successful listings for unrelated apps similar the podcast app Overcast.

The beingness of gambling ads successful the App Store arsenic a full has prompted immoderate criticism, with immoderate accusing Apple of being greedy and moving distant from policies that the institution upheld nether erstwhile CEO Steve Jobs. Apple earns gross from some the advertisement placements and its 15% to 30% chopped of in-app purchases successful gambling apps.

It is truly bittersweet to maine that Apple needs to commencement taking Casino Game Ad Money successful bid to marque their enactment spell up for the shareholders. When Steve introduced iAds and the full transportation was, "These ads aren't garbage, you'll similar these ads." This section shouldn't beryllium astatine all, imho https://t.co/VHOeryW5Ro — Cabel (@cabel) October 25, 2022

Can you ideate having $48.2 cardinal currency connected manus and YET inactive reasoning "ah yes, those House of Fun Casino ads volition turn our bottommost line, let's bash it" pic.twitter.com/j1k6WT8i2H — Federico Viticci (@viticci) October 26, 2022

Beyond upsetting immoderate developers, Apple allowing apps to tally ads successful different apps' listings has already led to the institution facing accusations of anticompetitive behavior. In a tweet past week, ineligible adept Florian Mueller argued the ads are "another means of expanding the effectual app taxation rate, forcing developers to bargain ads connected their ain app pages successful bid to debar that others steer customers distant from there."

Apple conscionable sent each developers an email that "Today tab and merchandise leafage campaigns commencement October 25." It's different means of expanding the effectual app taxation rate, forcing developers to bargain ads connected their ain app pages successful bid to debar that others steer customers distant from there. — Florian Mueller (@FOSSpatents) October 21, 2022

In August, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple wanted to astir triple its existent advertizing gross to astatine slightest $10 cardinal per twelvemonth successful the future. Gurman said keyword-based hunt effect ads are coming to the Apple Maps app starting adjacent year.

We've reached retired to Apple for remark and asked if the institution volition see tightening its rules surrounding the ads. We'll update this communicative if we perceive back.