Here's why (real) casino Facebook games might explode in 2012

A recent Department of Justice opinion has effectively allowed states to individually allow online gambling and lottery services, with Washington D.C. to be first in line, The Washington Times reports. In other words, a lot of Americans are going to find themselves strapped for cash this year, if enough states follow suit. And seriously, what state is going to refuse free tax money?

The new opinion is an interpretation of The Wire Act of 1961 that was essentially revisited to address whether Illinois and New York could allow out-of-state organizations to sell lottery tickets to residents online, according to The Times. (For a primer on the history of online gambling in the U.S., check out this page.) However, it appears that a few states have taken this interpretation as a green light for online, non-sports gambling.

"We always knew it was legal. It didn't come as a shock to us," independent D.C. Council member Michael A. Brown told The Times. "But other states might beat us to the punch, and that would be a tragedy. I'm hopeful we still will be the first to the marketplace. Frankly [other states] have said, 'We're just going to take D.C.'s legislation and copy it.'"

Those other states include Nevada and New Jersey, both of which reportedly begun to lay the groundwork for online gambling within their borders. This all sounds like quite the coincidence to the arguably already-explosive growth of casino games on Facebook, like DoubleDown Casino and Slotomania. Just look at Facebook's take on the top 10 social games of 2011.

More importantly, however, is that the big time social game players are keen on the genre, too. Both Zynga and PopCap plan to hit it big with casino games on Facebook. (Though, the latter is just a rumor.) Not to mention that Caesars now has its own Facebook game company. Of course, this all depends on whether Facebook gives the green light. But again, what social network is going to refuse free tax money?

[Via SitNews]

Are you down with the possibility of real online gambling coming to Facebook in 2012? Are you afraid this might harm the social gaming scene in any way? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.