Apple is facing a significant legal challenge in Brazil after accusations emerged that minors are freely accessing gambling applications through the App Store.
Three child-rights organisations have joined forces to bring the case, with Anced, Educafro Brasil, and Centro Santo Dias de Direitos Humanos all seeking urgent court intervention.
The groups are demanding a 10-day compliance period for Apple to enforce adequate age-based restrictions across its mobile app marketplace in Brazil.
Should the court rule in favour of the plaintiffs, Apple would be required to implement the restrictions or face a steep daily financial penalty of R$500,000, equivalent to approximately £72,300.
The lawsuit highlights one particular app available on the App Store as a key example of the alleged failures in age protection enforcement.
The app in question, “Casino Roulette: Roulettist”, offers poker, baccarat, roulette, and online slot machines, all playable using chips purchased with real money.
In-app purchase prices for those chips range from R$19.90 to R$599.90, giving players of any age straightforward access to real-money-style gambling mechanics.
While the app does display “for audiences aged 18 or older” in its App Store listing, plaintiffs argue that no proof of age is ever required during actual engagement with the content.
The lawsuit requests Apple to implement proper age verification mechanisms for all gambling apps on its platform, alongside a ban on new casino apps appearing without adequate protections in place.
The plaintiffs are also calling for Apple to maintain regular compliance oversight to ensure the protections remain consistently enforced over time.
All demands have been aligned with Brazil’s Estatuto Digital da Criança e do Adolescente, known as the ECA Digital law, which was enforced this year and significantly expanded protections for children and teenagers in online spaces.
The case reflects a growing global pressure on app store operators to take stronger responsibility for the content minors can access, particularly in the fast-expanding regulated gambling markets of Latin America.
Brazil’s online gambling sector has seen rapid growth in recent years, making the question of age verification more urgent than ever for regulators, advocacy groups, and platform operators alike.
