Social games giant Zynga is currently in "active conversations" with potential future partners as a means of exploring opportunities in the online, real money gambling market.
In a statement given to All Things Digital, a Zynga spokesperson explained, "We build games and experiences that our players want and love. Zynga Poker is the world's largest online poker game with more than 7 million people playing every day and over 30 million each month."
"We know from listening to our players that there's an interest in the real money gambling market. We’re in active conversations with potential partners to better understand and explore this new opportunity."
The company revealed late last year that its New York branch is currently working on Zynga Casino, a product that will combine Zynga Poker and Zynga Bingo.
That's not surprising considering that their games already are slot machines without a crank. Most facebook games are online slot machines of sorts, here is my take on it : http://bubaribaman.blogspot.com/2012/01/future-of-online-gaming-sad-world-of.htm l
at least gambling companies come straight out and say what they are, and out least their is something to be gained from online gambling sights, not a $40 virtual cow to be shared by you and all your friends
@Cody: State run gambling companies (like the ones here in Nevada) are honest because there are laws keeping them that way. I don't know enough about online gambling to say the same.
They, in fact, could be doing kind of gambling already. Considering the gambling definition of some states (like some US states, or Isle of Man - popular legislative choice for gambling operators), which says pay-in + chance + pay-out (buying a premium account/item + random chance of gaining aditional premium item + item gained has a value; you can sell it to somebody else for example, what means it has monetary value) = gambling.
Anyway, having 30M customers with potential of transforming quite a big chunk of them to paying customers in real poker (which they are talking about) is a massive start! Let alone they target different group of people, so they can position themselves just fine.
P.S: pay-in, chance, pay-out = problems with Diablo 3 auction system in Korea ;)
"Our games (IPO) isn't going as well as we had originally thought it would. We need a Plan B and this'll work. Heck! We've already got a Poker game out there."
Greasy and Sleezy. Two Ex-Disney dwarves that managed to run away from the Tragic Kingdom and join the "Anything Goes" circus over there Zynga-roonie.
l
I won't get into my opinions about online gambling. Suffice to say, they are... negative.
Anyway, having 30M customers with potential of transforming quite a big chunk of them to paying customers in real poker (which they are talking about) is a massive start! Let alone they target different group of people, so they can position themselves just fine.
P.S: pay-in, chance, pay-out = problems with Diablo 3 auction system in Korea ;)
"Our games (IPO) isn't going as well as we had originally thought it would. We need a Plan B and this'll work. Heck! We've already got a Poker game out there."
Greasy and Sleezy. Two Ex-Disney dwarves that managed to run away from the Tragic Kingdom and join the "Anything Goes" circus over there Zynga-roonie.