Fintech company Paytm on September 28 announced the return of its Indian Premier League (IPL)-led cashback scheme - the Paytm Cricket League.
"While we remain firm in our stance on the action taken by Google, we have made a few changes to our promotions so that our cricket celebrations with you continue uninterrupted. The essence of ‘Paytm Cricket League’ remains the same — you get surprise Cricket Player Cards on each transaction, and earn cashback on collecting them," Paytm said in a blog post.
The company reiterated that it has not been involved in "anything that can be considered betting or gambling".
Earlier this month, Google had pulled down the Paytm app as well as Paytm First Games from its Play Store, citing its policies on gaming and betting as the reason for the move.
Later that day, Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma said in an interview that the app had been removed from Play Store due to an IPL game launched by the company wherein the winner earns a sticker that offers cashbacks. This, he alleged, was being equated with gambling by Google.
The app was up and running on Play Store later that evening, after Paytm "temporarily" removed the cashback component to meet Play Store requirements.
The search engine giant had said it does not allow online casinos or support unregulated gambling apps that facilitate betting. Google has also said if an app leads consumers to external websites that allow them to participate in paid tournaments to win real money or cash prizes, it is a violation of its policies.
