Latest News
Apple Terminates Epic Games iOS Developer Account for Sweden
![Apple has terminated Epic Games iOS development account for Sweden as a new and unprecedented move against a company using their services.](https://europeangaming.eu/portal/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Apple-Terminates-Epic-Games-iOS-Developer-Account-for-Sweden-scaled.jpg)
The feud between Epic Games, a game development company, and Apple has entered a new stage. Apple has terminated Epic Games iOS development account for Sweden as a new and unprecedented move against a company using their services.
This comes as no surprise to those following the conflict between the two companies as it comes as a response to Epic Games’ success with their court battles against Apple. It’s an important matter beyond just the relationship between these two companies.
Since Apple and Google are hosting the developer accounts and stores used by independent companies and creators, they can control who gets to find an audience on their platforms. That’s why so many players using crypto are choosing independent and blockchain-based games. No intermediary is needed to play roulette with BTC online so that no one can shut it down unilaterally.
What has happened?
Apple has terminated a new developer account that Epic Games has set up for their Swedish market. The account is made so that Epic Games can put Fornite and the other games they are known for on the market for their European players.
Their online store can also be used to make in-game purchases, which is the biggest and most lucrative part of Epic Games’ business. Without access to the Apple store, it can’t sell its games or in-game items, as there’s no other platform for iOS users to do so.
Apple’s Statement
Apple has issued a statement on the matter, and they’ve said that terminating the account was within their rights and in accordance with the court decision that the US court has issued based on the lawsuit Epic Games has pursued against Apple and Google.
“Epic’s egregious breach of its contractual obligations to Apple led courts to determine that Apple has the right to terminate ‘any or all of Epic Games’ wholly owned subsidiaries, affiliates, and/or other entities under Epic Games’ control at any time and at Apple’s sole discretion,‘” an Apple spokesperson said in a statement. “In light of Epic’s past and ongoing behavior, Apple chose to exercise that right.”
Epic Games Statement
Epic Games has issued a blog post detailing the issue and placing the blame on Apple alone. The post refers to the broader issue of the Digital Markets Act. At the same time, Apple has based its decision on the rulings of the US court rather than on this piece of legislation that governs the EU markets.
To our surprise, Apple has terminated that account, and we cannot develop the Epic Games Store for iOS. This is a serious violation of the DMA and shows Apple has no intention of allowing actual competition on iOS devices.
In terminating Epic’s developer account, Apple is taking out one of the largest potential competitors to the Apple App Store. They are undermining our ability to be a viable competitor, and they are showing other developers what happens when you try to compete with Apple or are critical of their unfair practices.
What’s DMA?
DMA stands for Digital Markets Act. It’s a law issued by the EU that regulates the issue between Epic Games and Apple. The law requires Apple and Google to allow third-party apps in their stores.
Even though the law is written in technical and complex language – the basic issue it covers is breaking the monopoly the two giant corporations have on app market platforms. By controlling the platforms from which the users download their apps, the two companies can block small and third-party providers from getting to their users in the first place.
Opponents of the regulation claim that European laws are too strict and essentially anti-business. However, since the EU is a huge market for large tech companies, they need to comply with the regulations, even though they differ from those in the US. Smaller companies, by which we mean anyone who isn’t Google or Apple, use EU regulations to be treated better.
The Lawsuit
Apple’s decision came after Epic Games filed a lawsuit against it. In it, the Fortnite creators argued that Apple has a monopoly in the market and that they are charging a huge markup for using the Apple Store.
At the time, Apple was taking 30 percent out of every purchase made via their store. The court decided against Epic Games, allowing Apple to charge as much as they wanted as a fee for their services. Apple was also preventing the apps that use their platform from advertising other platforms that the users could move to instead. The court decided that this practice was illegal and stopped Apple from doing so.
The European Case
Apple also came under fire for the same issues when it comes to European regulations. These are more comprehensive and stricter when it comes to monopolies. That’s why Apple was charged a fine of $1.95 billion for “abusing its dominant position on the market for the distribution of music streaming apps” to iPhone and iPad users.”
This case started with a complaint from Spotify that stated Apple prevented their users from getting information about Spotify’s music streaming service, which was less expensive than the one offered by Spotify. They won, and the decision will have huge ramifications for third-party apps using Apple and Google platforms.
Epic Games
Epic Games is one of the biggest companies in the industry when it comes to casual online multiplayer games. It’s the powerhouse behind the biggest game, Fortnite, and it’s generated billions of dollars. Furthermore, the news came just a few days after Disney and Epic Games announced that Disney had invested $1.5 billion into the company.
The news of this deal excited the fans since they’ll be able to play Fortnite and other Epic Games titles with their favorite Disney characters. The two are now sharing IPs, and we’re eagerly awaiting the cooperation that will come out of it. Apple’s actions are even stranger now when Disney is behind Epic Games, as it seems like an extreme and vindictive move.
Criticizing Apple Publicly
Epic Games has claimed that the ban and the escalation are caused by their public criticism of Apple and its business practices. Apple has come out with a public plan to comply with DMA, and Epic Games is publicly critical of it.
Apple is retaliating against Epic for speaking out against Apple’s unfair and illegal practices, just as they’ve done to other developers time and time again. If Apple maintains its power to kick a third-party marketplace off iOS at its sole discretion, no reasonable developer would be willing to utilize a third-party app store because they could be permanently separated from their audience at any time.”
This approach to the subject matter is likely to garner support for Epic Games, not only due to the quality of their game but also because it can affect other third-party apps dependent on Apple.
Conclusion
Apple has banned Epic Games, including Fortnite, and in-game purchases for it in its store. This is a reaction to the lawsuit Epic Games has pursued against Apple. The matter has implications for gamers everywhere since Apple and Google control which apps you can download from their stores and can ban third-party apps as they see fit.
Author Bio
Awais Dar, founder of the Finnish news outlet SuomiTimes.com
Latest News
Win tickets to the BLAST Premier Fall Final: GG.BET is running a MEGA BLAST Competition for fans of СS2
![](https://europeangaming.eu/portal/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/fvfdgsadgareabvaaa.jpg)
From 26 July, all GG.BET users can get involved in the new MEGA BLAST Competition with a €10,000 prize fund. The winner will receive two tickets to the BLAST Premier Fall Final CS2 tournament, taking place from 27-29 September in Copenhagen. To enter, you need to place bets on Counter-Strike 2 matches.
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From 26 July to 4 August, as the Groups stage rages on, GG.BET will be holding its MEGA BLAST Competition. The winner will get their hands on two tickets to attend every day of the BLAST Premier Fall Finals. As well as these tickets, the bookmaker is also giving away a whopping €10,000 prize fund to the top 40 participants in the MEGA BLAST Competition.
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Latest News
MANCHESTER CITY TO MARK GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP WITH SUPER GROUP-OWNED BETWAY AT THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE
![](https://europeangaming.eu/portal/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/mcyjksadljoisajdasndkl.jpg)
Manchester City has today announced a new multi-year partnership with leading global online betting and gaming brand, Betway.
As part of the club’s pre-season tour of the United States, and to mark this significant deal, leading figures from Manchester City and Super Group will be on-site for the iconic NYSE bell-ringing ceremony later today. Ferran Soriano, CEO of City Football Group, along with Neal Menashe, Super Group CEO, will ring The Opening Bell at 9:30am EDT.
The agreement will see Betway become the club’s Official Global Betting Partner from the start of the 2024/25 season, as Manchester City joins the brand’s extensive sports sponsorship portfolio which includes teams from across the Premier League, La Liga, NBA and more.
Ferran Soriano, City Football Group CEO, said: “We are pleased to announce Betway as our Official Global Betting Partner today. As a globally recognised brand, Betway has a strong pedigree and history of working with high-profile brands within the sports space and we’re excited to work together throughout the partnership.”
Super Group CEO, Neal Menashe, commented: “We are absolutely delighted to become Manchester City’s Official Global Betting Partner. This agreement cements our place in the top tier of Premier League partners, ensuring that our Betway brand reaches fans in all corners of the globe.”
Throughout the duration of the partnership, Manchester City and Betway will collaborate on a number of activations and exclusive content opportunities, in addition to the brand featuring across digital and in-stadia assets.
Manchester City and Betway will also work together to provide all players, coaches, management and staff in-depth, industry leading training on all relevant codes of conduct relating to betting integrity and responsible gambling. This is in addition to the work Manchester City already does to support players and staff in this area.
The Opening Bell ceremony can be viewed live.
Compliance Updates
Acquiring a Curacao Online Gaming License in 2024: Comprehensive Analysis of Financial & Procedural Aspects with Costs & Timelines Detailed
![](https://europeangaming.eu/portal/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/curacaduioapdj.jpg)
The “Acquiring a Curacao Online Gaming License, 2024: Comprehensive Analysis of Financial & Procedural Aspects with Costs & Timelines Detailed” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering.
This report includes valuable insights into the financial and procedural aspects, including detailed information on costs and timelines associated with acquiring a Curacao license.
In 2023, Curacao introduced the “Landsverordening op de kansspelen” (Ordinance on Games of Chance) to modernize and regulate gambling legislation. Since March 2020, the Gambling Control Board (GCB) has been authorized to regulate offshore gambling games and oversee the issuance of Curacao licenses. As of 2023, there are 16 companies providing legal services for registration and licensing in the territory of Curacao. The license fee, as per GCB regulations, is 36,000 ANG or 19,800 USD, payable upon license issuance.
Research Timeline and Data Relevance
The research was conducted in two stages. The first stage, studying the regulator and Open Data Search, took place in December 2023. The second stage, writing the report and partially updating the data from the first stage, took place from the end of April to the end of May 2024.
Goals and Objectives
- Describe the information about the Curacao license and the issuing regulator.
- Describe the requirements and conditions for obtaining a Curacao license.
- Describe the costs and timelines for obtaining a Curacao license.
- Briefly study the market, find and suggest the following lists:
- Legal companies offering services for company registration and obtaining a Curacao license;
- Communication agents and integrators working with the Curacao license;
- Suppliers and vendors working with the Curacao license;
- Payment systems working with the Curacao license.
Key Topics Covered:
1. Goals and Objectives
2. Research Timeline and Data Relevance
- Document Markup
- Raw and Combined Data
- Terms & Glossary
3. General Information
- The Regulator
- Registration of Operators With Sublicense
- Application for an Online Gaming License
4. Requirements and Conditions for Obtaining a License
License Conditions
- General Prohibitions
- Safe and Secure Environment
- Equipment and Application Software
- Player Registration
- Payment Transactions
- Games
- Terms of Use
- Resolution of Complaints
- Administrative Responsibilities
- Publicly Available Information
- Reports
- Policies and Procedures
- Suspension and Revocation of License
- Additional Conditions
- Supervision
Recommendations or Minimum Requirements for the Business Plan
5. The Cost of the License
6. Decision Term and the Validity of the License
7. Application Method and Forms
8. Contact Information
9. Companies for Registration and Licensing
10. Integration Companies
11. Suppliers and Vendors
12. Payment Systems
13. META
14. Appendix: Terms & Glossary
For more information about this report visit researchandmarkets.com/r/izeo6g
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