Apple App Store rules for casino apps

Apple App Store rules for casino apps at a glance

Apple treats gambling as one of the most tightly controlled categories on its store. The App Review Guidelines (opens in a new tab), last updated on 16 October 2026, say gaming, gambling and lotteries "tend to be one of the most regulated offerings on the App Store". Developers are told to include them only once they've fully checked their legal obligations everywhere the app is available, and to expect extra time in review.

Our broader app store rules page puts Apple and Google side by side; this guide focuses on Apple and what you can see on an iPhone.

Licensing: why App Store casino apps must be regulated

Guideline 5.3.4 says apps offering real-money gaming, including casino games, sports betting, poker, horse racing and lotteries, "must have necessary licensing and permissions in the locations where the app is used". In Great Britain, that means a Gambling Commission licence.

Apple adds a second layer in guideline 5.1.1(ix): apps in highly regulated fields, with gambling named explicitly, should be submitted by a legal entity that provides the service, not by an individual developer. Apple doesn't use the phrase "licensed operator", but the effect is that the company behind the casino should be the one publishing the app.

That's why the seller line on an App Store listing is worth reading. For our partners, it shows the operator or its group, as the table later on this page sets out. To see how the UK licence itself works, read how casino apps are licensed in the UK.

Geo-restriction: casino apps and your location on iPhone

Guideline 5.3.4 also requires real-money gaming apps to be geo-restricted to the places where they're licensed. Apple doesn't say how; it could involve your device's location, your network, or both.

You can see the location side in each app's privacy label. The Coral Casino app's label lists coarse location as data linked to you; the Ladbrokes Casino app lists precise location as not linked to you; and the PlayOJO listing on the App Store (opens in a new tab) states that the app may use your location even when it isn't open, which can reduce battery life.

Our guides on whether casino apps track your location and using a casino app abroad explain what that means day to day, including why a VPN isn't a workaround.

No in-app purchases: how deposits work in App Store casino apps

Guideline 5.3.3 is short and absolute: "Apps may not use in-app purchase to purchase credit or currency for use in conjunction with real money gaming of any kind." Combined with the rule that real-money apps must be free on the App Store, it means your casino money never passes through Apple's purchase system.

Instead, deposits and withdrawals go through the operator's own cashier inside the app. Apple Pay can still appear there as a payment method, because it's working like a card payment to the casino, not like an App Store purchase. Coral's and Ladbrokes' help centres both list Apple Pay for deposits and withdrawals, and PlayOJO's help page names it too.

A practical consequence: you won't see casino deposits in your App Store purchase history. Check them in the casino's own transaction history instead; our guide to casino app transaction history shows where. For the payment method itself, see how to deposit with Apple Pay in a casino app.

App Store age ratings for casino apps

Apple's age ratings reference for developers (opens in a new tab) defines Gambling as betting or wagering with real money, or with in-game currency that can be exchanged for real money. That covers casino and card games, sports and non-sports betting, lotteries and raffles. Simulated Gambling is betting without real money or exchangeable currency.

Apple says this set of ratings applies to devices running iOS 26 and the matching versions of its other systems. In practice, every real-money casino app we cover is rated 18+ on the UK App Store. The rating is a store label; separately, UK law requires the casino to verify your age and identity before you can deposit or play. Our guide to casino app age verification covers that check.

Sweepstakes, contests and gambling aids

Two smaller parts of guideline 5.3 are worth knowing. Under 5.3.1 and 5.3.2, sweepstakes and contests must be sponsored by the app's developer, and the official rules must appear in the app and make clear that Apple isn't a sponsor or involved. Lottery apps must involve consideration, chance and a prize.

Guideline 5.3.4 also says illegal gambling aids, including card counters, aren't permitted. That fits the reality of online blackjack: RNG games reshuffle every hand and live tables generally use shuffling methods that defeat counting, so counting doesn't give an edge on an app anyway. Our page on sweepstakes casinos and the UK explains why that model isn't how UK casino apps work.

How UK casino apps look on the App Store

Here's how the rules show up on the UK App Store listings of our five partner casino apps. Every one is free to download and rated 18+.

Coral and Ladbrokes are dedicated casino apps, separate from their sportsbook apps, and both are published under Entain, whose company LC International Limited holds the Gambling Commission licence (account 54743). PlayOJO's app comes from Skill On Net, licence holder under account 39326. Casumo and 10bet each use one combined app for casino and sports.

You can open the Coral Casino App Store listing (opens in a new tab) to see the seller, age rating and privacy label in place. Brand-by-brand details are on our Coral iPhone app, Ladbrokes iPhone app and PlayOJO iPhone app pages, and which iOS version casino apps need explains the version requirements.

How to check a casino app listing on the App Store

Apple's rules do a lot of filtering, but a quick check of your own catches lookalikes and wrong apps.

1. Search the App Store for the exact app name the casino uses, not just the brand.
2. Check the seller name matches the casino's operator or group.
3. Confirm the age rating shows 18+ and the price is free.
4. Read the privacy label, especially data linked to you and any location use.
5. Check the compatibility section for the minimum iOS version and supported devices.
6. Look up the licence holder on the Gambling Commission's public register.
7. Install, then set a deposit limit when the app prompts you before your first deposit.

Our guides to downloading a casino app on iPhone and reading a casino app privacy label go into each step.

Apple App Store rules versus Google Play rules for casino apps

The two stores reach similar outcomes by slightly different routes.

The last row is the big practical difference. On Android, people sometimes meet casino APK files, which our guide on whether it's safe to download a casino APK covers. For the Android rules in full, see Google Play rules for casino apps, and for a device-level comparison, iPhone versus Android casino apps.

Using Apple's controls to block casino apps

Because real-money casino apps carry an 18+ rating, Apple's Screen Time controls can keep them off an iPhone. Apple's parental controls guide (opens in a new tab) explains that Content & Privacy Restrictions let you choose which app age ratings are allowed, and that installing apps can be set to Allowed or Blocked.

Adults can use the same controls on their own phone, ideally with a passcode someone else holds. Our guides to blocking casino apps with Screen Time and blocking gambling apps on iPhone walk through it, and GAMSTOP and the National Gambling Helpline (0808 8020 133, free and 24/7) are there if you need more support.

App Store casino apps with a welcome offer

These three partner apps meet Apple's rules on the UK App Store: licensed, geo-restricted, free to download and rated 18+. Each offer is for new customers aged 18 or over, and terms apply. They're slot offers, so table and live games aren't part of them, and the house edge means you're more likely to lose than win over time.

• Coral Casino (Entain; LC International Limited): bet £10 or more on slots after a qualifying deposit and get 100 free spins on selected games at 10p each. Accept within 48 hours and use within 7 days; no wagering on spin winnings. Payments by Neteller, PayPal, Paysafe, Skrill, prepaid card or certain debit cards are excluded, and the offer is open from 1 October 2026 until 1 February 2027.
• Ladbrokes Casino (Entain; LC International Limited): deposit and spend £10 or more on slots and get 50 free spins a day for your first 10 days, capped at 500, at 10p each on selected games. Claim by 23:59 each day; valid 7 days; no wagering. Deposits by prepaid card, PayPal, Paysafe, Neteller, Skrill or Moneybookers won't count.
• PlayOJO (Skill On Net Limited): first deposit of £10 or more for 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza at 10p each, no wagering and winnings paid as cash. New UK customers excluding Northern Ireland; via the designated offer link only; can't be combined with other offers.

As Coral and Ladbrokes share an operator, you may not be able to open new accounts at both. Our list of the best casino apps for iPhone ranks the options, and all our practical help sits in the casino app guides hub.

18+. Every casino game has a built-in house edge, so over time you should expect to lose what you stake. Set a budget before you play and stop when it’s gone: safer gambling tools and support. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.