Gaming boutique software provider Digient has been showcasing its new social betting product at the ICE show in London this week.

Launched in December in Scandinavia, Viral Bet connects people from Facebook, allowing them to place bets, create events and share with friends on Facebook. “Gaming has become more social,” Digient CEO Martin Prantner told iNTERGAMINGi at ICE on Wednesday. “It used to be very secretive and people wouldn’t talk about the fact that they bet or played poker, but it’s different now. People share lots about each other on social networking sites like Facebook – photos, comments, events – and the same is happening with betting.”

Viral Bet is currently a free-play game because of constraints by Facebook, but the company expects to roll out a money version in the next two-three months. “We believe that money is still a key driver when it comes to betting,” said Prantner. “It doesn’t have to be a large amount but players like to get something back from their game.”

Prantner is unsure how Facebook will react to the addition of the money element but is prepared to “take the hit” and believes it will be worth it. “Although most social games are free-play, they are definitely moving in the money direction with rumours about Facebook grouping with some key gaming operators.”

Viral Bet has received a good response since its launch before Christmas, however the company is expecting a significant increase once Euro 2012 has kicked off.