Judge Says Big Tech Isn’t Just a Middleman. A U.S. federal judge ruled this week that Apple, Google, and Meta must face lawsuits over casino-style gambling apps. The companies tried to dodge responsibility with Section 230 protections, but the court wasn’t buying it. Reason? They don’t just host the apps — they process payments and take their cut every time a degen buys chips.
The Games in Question
- “Social casino” apps look like free games but are basically slot machines and poker tables with fake chips.
- Players can’t cash out, but they spend billions reloading chips with real money.
- Industry reports show these apps pulled in over $6 billion in 2023, most of it through Apple and Google’s app stores.
Why This Ruling Hits Different
This isn’t just about a few apps — it could reshape how gambling is handled on mobile:
- App stores might start banning or limiting casino-style games to avoid liability.
- Hybrid crypto casinos like Stake, BC.Game, and Rollbit, which still rely on app store funnels, could get squeezed.
- On-chain casinos and browser-based dApps don’t rely on Apple or Google — they can keep running no matter what.
What It Means for Degens
If Big Tech tightens the gates, normies lose their casual casino apps — but Web3 casinos win by default. This case shows the risk of building on centralized rails and the edge of being wallet-native. On-chain wagmi, app store ngmi.
