App Store 5.3 rejection: Gambling, contests, and lotteries
By The Draftbit team · Updated
Sources checked
This guide is for iPhone and iPad apps offering contests, sweepstakes, gambling, or lotteries.
Calling a feature a game or giveaway doesn’t settle how Apple treats it. Guideline 5.3 separates contest sponsorship and rules from real-money gaming and licensing. The actual entry conditions, payment, chance, and prize matter.
Describe the full transaction
Write down who enters, what they pay or contribute, how a winner is chosen, and what they receive. We’d have the responsible compliance adviser assess every location where the feature is available before preparing the review response.
The child rules below cover the developer as sponsor, in-app official rules, restrictions on purchasing gambling credits through in-app purchase, and licensing and geographic access.
Align the product and its documents
Remove prohibited features or satisfy the applicable conditions. Keep the app’s availability, eligibility checks, rules, and payment flow consistent. A store age rating doesn’t establish legal permission to run the activity.
Test with fictional users and a safe test-payment setup. Give Apple the relevant documentation and precise steps to verify restrictions. Avoid assuming that approval of one contest authorizes every future variation.
Messages this guide can help with
App Store 5.3 rejection; app store 5.3 denial; Guideline 5.3; Gambling, contests, and lotteries
Official sources
We checked these instructions against the sources below. The console layout may change, and your review decision may call for different steps.
- Apple App Review guideline 5.3 Checked 22 September 2026