X

Zynga's real-money gambling said to be coming to Facebook

The social-gaming company is planning to launch ZyngaPlusPoker and ZyngaPlusCasino apps that will supposedly be available on Facebook in the U.K.

Dara Kerr Former senior reporter
Dara Kerr was a senior reporter for CNET covering the on-demand economy and tech culture. She grew up in Colorado, went to school in New York City and can never remember how to pronounce gif.
Dara Kerr
Zynga

Having just begun to test its luck with online gambling sites, Zynga is now said to be hedging its bets with real-money gambling apps.

The social gaming company is said to be launching ZyngaPlusPoker and ZyngaPlusCasino apps that will be available on Facebook in the U.K., according to VentureBeat. These apps will supposedly be accessible on desktop computers first and then will come to mobile.

"This is just business as usual for them," a Facebook spokesperson told CNET. "What you're likely hearing about are additional games Zynga is adding to their existing real money gaming ecosystem in the U.K."

The struggling gaming company officially launched its U.K. gambling sites in April. It has started out with two gambling brands, ZyngaPlusPoker and ZyngaPlusCasino, which host more than 160 games where players can use real money. This endeavor was a partnership between Zynga and the U.K.-based poker company Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment.

While these games will only be available in the U.K. to start, Zynga has said that it also has big plans to bring gambling games to the U.S. Zynga made efforts to apply for a gambling operator's license in Nevada late last year, spurring Wall Street to wonder if the company could pick itself up with gambling dollars.

It's unclear when the apps will launch in the U.K. When contacted by CNET, Zynga declined to comment.