Reasons for Full Tilt Poker Android App Disappearance Unclear

Full Tilt Poker’s Rush Poker Mobile application was removed from the Android marketplace this week, as a recent change to the requirement for Android apps has made it clear that gambling apps are no longer allowed to be sold for the phone.

The app was originally designed to allow Android users to play poker from their mobile phones. After being available for download for some time during a beta testing period, it was recently pulled from the Android online store with a cryptic statement that said the unavailability was “due to maintenance.”

However, many feared that it was the subject matter of the app was the real trouble, and the new rating system that was recently unveiled appears to validate that few point. One of the new guidelines states that “real gambling is not allowed in the Android Market,” which suggests that any program facilitating gambling online would not be sanctioned by Google.

According to reports, users that have already downloaded the Rush Poker Mobile app will be able to continue using the program as normal. However, other users will have to find other workarounds to play poker on their Android phones. For instance, Full Tilt Poker’s website still offers the program – at least for now.

This move by Google has many users wondering how long other gambling applications might survive before potentially being pulled from the market. Several Android apps currently give players access to mobile casinos, and most were reportedly still available at the time of this writing.

For Full Tilt’s part, they are denying – or at least, not confirming – that Google has pulled their app because of its content. In an email message, Full Tilt has said that “due to the software being in beta testing stage, maintenance such as this is often essential.”