‘Coming early 2013’ is all the sites say, but Zynga Plus Poker and Zynga Plus Casino are reported to be almost up and ready to play on social websites, but only in the UK.
The experiment in social internet gambling for real money – instead of for fun and as a marketing tool – is about to begin.
The marketing tool angle is simply to get the word out and begin the process of collecting email addresses up-front of the official launch. Strap-lines such as ‘Poker for the people’ and ‘Casino for the people’ are being used to emphasise the social angle of the sites. Until now, Zynga has operated with a core business of selling virtual goods on Facebook – where the new gambling games will be offered.
Zynga is a San Francisco-based company that recently announced an exclusive partnership with bwin.party. That enabled it to launch gambling for real money in the UK and around 180 games, with blackjack, roulette and slots, will be on the sites.
Additional to its UK experiment, Zynga has an eye for the potential in its home country and has filed an ‘application for a preliminary finding of suitability’ in Nevada. But coming to fruition will be a long process and will take probably two years, and only if Nevada, or more generally, the US opens to online gambling.
