Apple Sued in Brazil Over Alleged Lack of Age Verification for Casino Games on App Store

Civil Lawsuit Filed Against Apple in Brazil

Apple is facing a civil lawsuit in Brazil seeking R$300 million (roughly $59 million) in damages. The lawsuit, filed by Anced, Educafro Brasil, and the Santo Dias Center for Human Rights on July 30, alleges that children can download and access casino-style games on the App Store without adequate age verification.

Allegations of Inadequate Age Verification

The plaintiffs claim that despite age ratings, such as 18+ for "Casino Roulette: Roulettist," no proof of age, document verification, or facial recognition is required to access the content. This specific app offers various casino games, including poker, baccarat, roulette, and slots, with in-app purchases up to R$599.90 (approximately $118). The lawsuit states there are at least six other similar apps available to minors.

Demands and Potential Penalties

The lawsuit asks Apple to implement an effective age-verification system for all casino games, prevent new casino games from being made available without verification, and maintain continuous oversight of existing titles. It also requests Apple submit reports on its enforcement efforts every six months. If Apple fails to comply within 10 days, the groups are seeking a daily fine of R$500,000.

Prior Scrutiny from Brazilian Officials

This lawsuit follows earlier scrutiny from Brazilian officials. Last month, Apple was given five business days to provide details on its verification processes for gambling apps and how it prevents minors from accessing age-restricted content. This request came three months after the National Secretariat for Digital Rights and National Consumer Secretariat first questioned Apple and Google regarding betting apps accessible to children.