Vietnam’s online gamblers have fewer mobile options today after tech giant Google removed 56 Vietnamese-language gambling apps from its Google Play store.

On Wednesday, Vietnam’s Ministry of Information and Communications announced that Google had complied with its request to remove 56 Vietnamese-language real-money gambling apps – primarily offering card, casino and lottery games – from the Google Play online marketplace.

The VNS media service reported that 16 of the apps were found to be illegally exploiting users’ data in violation of Google Play rules, while the other 40 apps were removed at the request of Vietnam’s Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information for failing to observe Vietnam’s strict prohibition of online casino gambling.

In August 2017, Google relaxed its longstanding prohibition on real-money gambling apps, but only in the UK, Ireland and France. Helena Lersch, Google’s head for Public Policy and Government Relations for Asia–Pacific markets, was quoted on a Vietnam government website saying the company would remove gambling apps if they are flagged by local authorities.