Apple has paused showing gambling app ads on App Store pages after several developers expressed discontent with the distasteful ads appearing in their App Store listings.
Recently, Apple launched new ad placements in the App Store on iOS to offer developers new places to advertise their apps like the main “Today” tab and the “You Might Also Like” section to show recommended apps.
However, developers including prominent ones like Simon Stovring and Macro Arment raised questions on why Apple was showing ads of gambling apps which is “not okay”.
Developers criticize Apple for running gambling ads in App Store, “it’s not okay” to use casino ads to grow
Developer of Runestone, Scriptable, Jayson, and Datajar apps, Simon B. Stovring found that 3 out of 10 times visits to the product page for his app showed an ad for online gambling.
The developer said those ads were not okay because he also found a gambling app ad in the “Our Favorite Kids’ Apps”s section, along with his product pages in the App Store.
With Apple’s recent changes to ads on the App Store, your product pages may now show ads for gambling apps. One of my product pages just did that 😞 pic.twitter.com/CjbrXpajX0
— Simon B. Støvring (@simonbs) October 25, 2022
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. pic.twitter.com/F0WUENr9z5
— Simon B. Støvring (@simonbs) October 26, 2022
Macro Arment retweeted a screenshot of a gambling app’s ad shared by a developer @Jason Eccles who was complaining that he has paid hundreds of dollars to use the App Store’s new ads only to find ads for online gambling.
Arment expressed disappointment with Apple for taking money from apps that promote gambling.
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. https://t.co/MnNlf7k0kT
— Marco Arment (@marcoarment) October 25, 2022
MacStories editor-in-chief Federico Viticci also wrote that the App Store has corrupted Apple so much that it was now advertising gambling apps.
Can you imagine having $48.2 billion cash on hand and YET still thinking “ah yes, those House of Fun Casino ads will grow our bottom line, let’s do it”
Can you imagine having $48.2 billion cash on hand and YET still thinking "ah yes, those House of Fun Casino ads will grow our bottom line, let's do it" pic.twitter.com/j1k6WT8i2H
— Federico Viticci (@viticci) October 26, 2022
After facing strong backlash from the developers’ community, in a brief statement, Apple said that it was pausing the gambling app ads and other categories but did not provide reasons behind the decision.
“We have paused ads related to gambling and a few other categories on App Store product pages.”
via MacRumors
