Google has removed the Paytm App, one of India’s biggest digital payment apps, for several hours from its online store for breaching gambling rules, a day before the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament.
Betting is illegal in India, but the countdown to the 53-day IPL has seen a profusion of online ads for fantasy sports sites, which are allowed in many parts of the country. Paytm had recently launched a fantasy cricket tournament that involved cash bets and violated the Google Play Store’s policies.
“Today afternoon, we received communication from Google that they are suspending our app because they believe this to be a violation of their Play Store policies on gambling,” the company said.
However, the app was back on the platform Friday evening after removing a “cashback” feature on “a recently-launched game on the application,” the Press Trust of India reported.
“Update: And we’re back!” Paytm tweeted.
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