If Zynga has its way, the money won in Zynga Poker could be for keeps

Thanks to recent forward moves in state regulations, you might get to cash in on those millions of chips in Zynga Poker. Zynga has confirmed to All Things Digital (ATD) that the San Francisco-based social game maker is looking at online gambling. In fact, the company is already in talks with potential partners to turn the upcoming Zynga Casino into, well, a real online casino.

"We build games and experiences that our players want and love," a Zynga spokesperson told ATD. "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."

Cashing in on your Zynga Poker chips could be a reality sooner rather than later, as a recent Department of Justice opinion has effectively allowed states to individually permit online gambling and lottery services. However, keep in mind that the U.S. is taking baby steps toward legal online gambling, handling the issue on a state-by-state basis. We're several months away (if not longer) from gambling in Facebook games. "We don't have any plans to get into real-money gambling," a Facebook rep told ATD.

Casino games are already popular on Facebook, even without the prospects of cash in return. Casino chain Caesars recently gobbled up Slotmania creator Playtika, possibly for more than $90, while International Game Technology snagged DoubleDown Casino maker DoubleDown Interactive for a cool $500 million. That said, imagine the profit possibilities for these games if real-money gambling hits the table. Then again, we should also consider the dangers ... and they're downright scary.

Are you excited at the possibility of real-money gambling coming to Facebook games, namely Zynga Poker? What do you think are potential effects of such a move? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.