Zynga may have cancelled its plans to venture into the American real-money gambling market, but the social gaming developer has not given up hope on Facebook’s gambling industry. This week, Zynga announcing the launch of its real-money poker app, Zynga Plus Poker, on the Facebook Games platform. It seems to be about time, since Zynga first rose to fame with the launch of the original Zynga Poker on Facebook.
The app was one of the social network’s first hugely successful social gambling games, allowing players to wager play money on Texas Hold’em poker games. Zynga had launched its real-money gambling app shortly after Facebook started issuing gambling licenses, but the social network provided companies like 888 and Paddy Power with the ability to offer real-money gambling activities first.
Now, Zynga will be latest operator to offer real-money casino games on Facebook. Zynga Plus Poker provides players with a number of games to play including Texas Hold ‘em, Omaha, Stud, Hi/Lo and Blackjack. Offering up a diverse range of games for players to enjoy, the app is likely to attract plenty of players. The move certainly indicates a change of heart that Zynga has had about real-money gambling.
Last summer, the company decided not to pursue a gambling license in the American online gaming market. Zynga claimed that its best opportunity was in free-play social gaming, but times have changed very quickly. As the poker boom receives renewed interest from players around the world, there is a great opportunity for gaming operators to get involved in the online poker market.
The new Zynga Plus Poker app on Facebook will be available to players in the United Kingdom. There is no word yet on whether or not real-money Facebook gambling will extend to other markets.