BENGALURU, Nov 28 (Reuters) - India's competition

watchdog on Thursday ordered a probe into Google's restrictive

policies for real-money games on its platform, following a

complaint by online gaming platform WinZO that called it

discriminatory.

The move compounds Google's regulatory headaches in India,

where it has already been hit with at least two penalties for

abusing its dominant position in the Android operating system

market.

Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment

made after working hours in India and with the Thanksgiving

holiday in the United States.

WinZO, which offers real-money games, first approached the

Competition Commission of India (CCI) in 2022, after a change in

the U.S. company's gaming app policy continued to exclude WinZO

from Google's Play Store, even as it accepted some of its

competitors.

The updated Google policy allowed real-money games for

fantasy sports and rummy, but WinZO was rejected as it also

offered games in other categories that Google does not accept,

such as the Indian game of carrom, puzzles and car racing.

"By granting preferential treatment to select app

categories, Google effectively creates a two-tier market where

some developers are accorded superior access and visibility

while others are discriminated against and thus, left with a

competitive disadvantage," a copy of the CCI order stated.

A CCI official is expected to complete its investigation

into the matter within 60 days.