Mobile casinos reach phones through apps or mobile websites. Google Play and Apple only allow real-money gambling apps that hold the necessary licence for each location where they are used and are restricted to those places. KiraBet has found no Maldivian authority that licenses online gambling. Casino apps shared through links or chat groups carry malware and account-takeover risks. Gambling faces legal restrictions in the Maldives.
On this page
- Google Play requirement
- A valid gambling licence for each country where the app is distributedSource 3
- Apple requirement (guideline 5.3.4)
- Licensing in the locations where the app is used, and geo-restrictionSource 4
- Google Play Protect
- Checks devices for harmful apps from other sourcesSource 6
- Police warning (July 2025)
- Telegram phishing links used to steal one-time passwordsSource 8
This page is about the delivery layer rather than the games. It covers how gambling reaches a phone, what the major app stores require of real-money gambling apps, and the security risks of apps and links that circulate outside official channels. It does not explain how to install or use any casino app.
The games themselves are the same ones described in our slots explainer and our live dealer explainer. What changes on a phone is how the software arrives and what it can reach once it is there.
Two routes onto a phone
Gambling reaches phones in two ways: native apps installed from an app store, and websites designed to work in a mobile browser. To the user they can look almost identical.
The Maldivian government has referred to both. The Attorney General's call for legal reform covered gambling and betting carried out through websites and mobile apps1.
What the major app stores require
Google Play
Google Play allows real-money gambling apps only if they meet specific requirements2. The developer must hold a valid gambling licence for each country or state where the app is distributed, and the app must block access from places its licence does not cover3.
Approved apps must also keep under-age users out, display responsible gambling information3, be free to download and not use Google Play's in-app billing2. Apps that do not meet these requirements may not enable real-money wagering at all2.
Apple App Store
Apple's App Review Guideline 5.3.4 states that apps offering real-money gaming, including casino games, "must have necessary licensing and permissions in the locations where the App is used, must be geo-restricted to those locations, and must be free on the App Store"4. Apple also bars HTML5 games distributed inside apps from offering real-money gaming, according to 2019 reporting on its guidelines5.
What this means for the Maldives
Both stores tie approval to a licence valid where the user is. KiraBet has found no Maldivian authority that licenses online gambling, and the government has submitted a bill to make gambling a criminal offence1.
Treat any "casino app" presented as made for Maldivian users with suspicion. The reason it is not in an official store may be the same reason it is unsafe. For who runs these services and what they are, see our page on online casinos and Maldivian users.
The risks of unofficial apps
Apps passed around as download links or files in chat groups skip the review an official store applies. KiraBet does not provide instructions for installing them and advises against doing so.
Google describes its Play Protect service as checking devices for potentially harmful apps from other sources, "sometimes called malware", and warning users about them6. It also sends alerts about apps that can obtain permissions to access personal information in breach of Google's policies6.
An app that handles deposits and logins is an obvious target for anyone who wants card details, passwords or one-time codes.
Phishing clones and fake links
A phishing clone copies the look of a real site or app to capture logins or payment details. These scams are well documented in the Maldives, though not specifically in gambling.
- Bank of Maldives warns of emails and SMS messages with links that lead to false pages built to look legitimate7.
- Maldives Police have warned of Telegram links, often claiming to contain photos, that lead people to hand over a one-time password and lose control of their account8.
- Police urged people not to engage with such links even when they appear to come from a trusted or close contact9.
- The Malta Gaming Authority publishes notices about websites impersonating operators it licenses10. Copying a gambling brand is a known tactic.
Warning signs
- A link or app file arrives unprompted in a chat group or direct message.
- The address differs slightly from a known one, or uses an unusual domain.
- You are asked for a one-time password, PIN or full card details outside a bank's own app.
- The message pushes you to act quickly, or promises bonuses or guaranteed wins.
- The app asks for access that has nothing to do with its purpose, such as your SMS messages or contacts.
Our guide to checking a site before trusting it covers further signals.
Protecting your phone and accounts
- Turn on two-step verification for messaging accounts, as Maldives Police advise8.
- Keep your phone's built-in app scanning switched on; on Android this is Play Protect6.
- If a Telegram account is compromised, police advise uninstalling the app and reinstalling it with two-step verification enabled8.
- If you entered card or bank details on a suspicious page, contact your bank immediately and ask about stopping or reversing payments11.
For the payment side of these risks, see our explainer on casino payment methods and their risks.
If the harder problem is the pull to reinstall rather than the app itself, our page on support for gambling harm lists what is available.