On December 22, 2025, Apple introduced updated requirements for developer accounts publishing iGaming applications in the European segment of the App Store. The changes relate to mandatory automated verification of local licenses through the API of regulators and stricter verification protocols for legal entities. This decision is conditioned by the requirements of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and is aimed at legalizing 100% of gambling content in the EU countries.

What has changed in the moderation procedure for iGaming consoles?

The update affected the technical part of the App Store Connect dashboard. Now, when uploading a build in the "Casino" or "Sports Betting" categories, the system requires linking a digital license certificate. According to Apple Developer Support, manual verification is being replaced by algorithmic comparison of the organization's data with the registers of the national gambling commissions.

The main technical innovations include:

• Integration with VIES: Automatic verification of the company's VAT number in the EU tax information exchange system.
• Geo-fensing at the API level: Applications are now required to use Apple's native framework to confirm the user's location before launching game mechanics.
• DUNS Verification: Updating data in the Dun & Bradstreet registry has become mandatory every 6 months to maintain the status of an active developer.

For market experts, this means making it more difficult to work with "rental" accounts. Now, the discrepancy between the data of the console owner and the data of the licensee leads to the automatic account blocking without the right to appeal within 48 hours.

Key data for developers (December 2025):

• The period of automatic license verification: up to 2 hours.
• Penalty for using invalid location API: account ban.
• Required Apple CryptoKit Compliance Level: TLS 1.3 and higher.

The position of experts and official statements of regulators

The reaction of the professional community was divided. Major licensed operators welcome the changes, as they reduce the number of unscrupulous clones in the App Store. According to a statement from the technical director of the European Gaming Association (EGA), Apple's new filters will help clear the marketplace of applications using hidden WebView switches.

"Apple is actually turning the App Store Connect into a government surveillance tool. For traffic purchase experts, this means a 35-40% increase in the cost of a high-quality mobile application due to compliance costs," notes Alexey Ivanov, the leading technical auditor of iGaming projects in Europe.

Apple representatives emphasized in an official letter to partners that these measures provide "an unprecedented level of user protection." However, independent legal consultants point out the possible risks of monopolization, as it will become more difficult for small developers to maintain the infrastructure of accounts for each individual EU region.

Parameter	The rules of 2024	New rules (Dec. 2025)
License verification	Uploading a PDF document	Real-time API verification
Identity verification	Photo ID of the owner	Biometric FaceID + EID card
Regional restrictions	Configuration in the console	Mandatory system Geo-fencing SDK

Historical context and impact of the Digital Markets Act

Until December 2025, Apple maintained more flexible terms for iGaming applications, allowing developers to use internal verification systems. However, pressure from the European Commission in the framework of the DMA implementation forced the company to open access to alternative stores. To minimize security risks in an open ecosystem, Apple has tightened control over its main store.

Earlier, in November 2024, France and Germany submitted requests to strengthen control over cross-border transactions in mobile games. The current console update is a technical response to these requests. It combines financial monitoring and content distribution into a single controlled environment, where Apple acts as a guarantor of the operator's legitimacy.

Forecasts for the development of the iGaming app market in Europe

In the short term, experts expect a massive migration of gray offers to alternative app stores, which Apple was forced to allow in the EU. However, the bulk of the paying traffic will remain in the official App Store. This will create a shortage of trusted developer accounts with a history (trust accounts).

Analysts predict the following trends for 2026:

• Growing popularity of PWA: Progressive web applications will become the main tool for bypassing the strict moderation of consoles.
• Compliance automation: Intermediary services will appear offering a "license as a service" with integration into the Apple API.
• Market consolidation: Small arbitration teams will be forced to join full-service media buying agencies to service legitimate accounts.

The further development of the situation will depend on how quickly national regulators (for example, DGOJ in Spain or GGL in Germany) update their technical gateways for synchronization with Apple. Similar requirements are expected to come into force for UK developers by March 2026.

Author: Victor Gromov, an expert in mobile development and App Store security with 12 years of experience.

Publication date: 2025-12-23T08:00:00+01:00

Sources: Official Apple Developer Portal, EU Digital Markets Act documentation, European Gaming Association report for Q4 2025.