StartApp Advertsing Gambling Apps Got my App Suspended

Now that the NFL Football Season is here, Somehow FanDuel and Draftkings.com somehow slipped through onto the Google Play App store even though Both apps are sports betting apps that clearly violates Google Play’s Gambling Policy.

The apps are as Follows.

FanDuel App <-----Advertised via StartApp as a Fan Duel Score Tracker App but links to the actual app on Google Play.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fanduel.android.self

Draftkings.com App
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.draftkings.dknativermgGP

Every year these 2 apps sneak onto Google Play only to be suspended a few months later, not sure why it takes google long to suspend as both are owned by a big USA Corporation.

What these apps do is allow a user to pay money to setup a fantasy Football Lineup for the week and the people who earn the most points for the week get to cashout big prizes up to 2 Million Dollars. This is a Sports Betting Website/App which clearly violates Google Plays Gambling Policies.

The Fan Duel App is advertised via StartApp which got my app suspended right after publishing it for violating Google Plays Gambling Ads Policy. So $200 down the drain for the cost of developing this app.

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I have also Seen Draft Kings 360 video ad from Airpush as well as ads from Admob advertising both draftkings and Fan Duel so I highly recommend updating apps to a different ad network.

I also reported both apps to google, but since its a huge corporation they probably wont do anything.

I will be contacting my Lawyer to see if I should Sue StartApp, Fan Duel, Or Google Play or perhaps all 3.

Made my day;)

Add Heyzap to the list of adnetworks advertsing one of these apps. his company that owns fan duel and Draft Kings has Millions of Dollars maybe even billions.

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Looks like we are all screwed here.

Is this app? https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fanduel.android.live&hl=en

Nope the ad went straight to this app here when I clicked on it.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fanduel.android.self

So it’s been already removed from Google Play? it doesn’t find any App at that link (at least in my country)

USA only chnage ip to USA then you will see it

But even startapp have a problem, you have it too…
look at your package name, “android” is trademark and cannot be used in app names/package names

Your Apps wasn’t suspended for wrong content rating, right? (like an age 3+ Apps including Ads for higher maturity)
If they just suspend an App because shows Ads to another App on Google Play, Google is really ****ed up… if they say the Ads is illegal for showing real money gambling, then how can they not ban the gambling App first O_O

StartApp is also advertising That FanDuel App

Yeah it was the startapp one that got my app suspended. Also Airpush has it as well so im sure all adnetworks have it, Apps are still on google play and not sure how they still there. Google is not doing a very good job shutting down these gambling apps.

Still it feels incredible that Google suspends your App because it contains an Advertisement to an Application that is live on Google Play… if they notice the Ads is linking to an App which violates Google Play policy how the hell they don’t remove the App from Google Play too? O_O

Google approved those apps with full knowledge that they were gambling apps.

It is not the fault of StartApp. It’s Google bending its rules in favor of big players.

Here is evidence going around:

This is a pretty interesting case, fanduel and draftkings are all over TV here in the states, and their argument is “sports betting is not up to chance (like cards or poker is), its a calculated guess, so its a skill, and skill based betting should not be considered gambling”.

The argument they present is stupid, in their view, lets all make games where people pay to enter a challenge, and whoever wins the challenge gets all the entry fees (or 50% of them), that will make it a “skill” game.

I hope both of these companies get audited by FTC and get shut down.

Well the Google Play policies state: "Gambling: We don’t allow content or services that facilitate online gambling, including but not limited to, online casinos, sports betting and lotteries, or games of skill that offer prizes of cash or other value. " Developer Policy Center

Policy states “games of skill”, so “that will make it a “skill” game” should not be a reason they can get away with it.

Yeah its ****ing bullshit I filed an appeal with all this information and they denied the appeal. They can suck my Wad, I think im going to file a lawsuit against google.

Did you appeal saying that the App being advertised is live on Google Play and so of course it can’t be against Google Play policy? T_T

I am also a victom of this … i want to ask … is that issue has been solved ? i am using startAPP should i publish another application including StartApp now ? or should i wait ? any experience … any sugestion … please help me …

Sir i am also a victom of that bullshit by google … but Sir … i want to ask you that … problem got solved or not ? as i heard that all monetizing compan’es got that issue … i dont want to change my sdk to startapp to any other monetizing company … not even on Admob … i have some level and history on StartApp … so let me know … is that problem solved ?? can i sucessfully publish my application now … ? if not then do you have any idea when it will be solved … ??
Thanks in Advance …

I have the same problem, so Startapp still has problem with those ads. Look at my thread, I included e-mail about suspending: http://forums.makingmoneywithandroid.com/advertising-networks/27909-startapp-gambling-ads-startapp-rep-please-respond-quickly.html