Zynga takes its first step toward gambling in the U.S. capital of casinos
The company behind FarmVille has finally decided to get its feet wet in the turbulent waters of gambling in the U.S. Zynga recently filed an application for a Preliminary Finding of Suitability from the Nevada Gaming Control Board. In English, Zynga has taken the first step toward bringing real-money gaming (i.e online gambling) to its players in Nevada. Zynga chief revenue officer Barry Cottle announced the news with this statement:
Zynga has filed its Application for a Preliminary Finding of Suitability from the Nevada Gaming Control Board. This filing continues our strategic effort to enter regulated RMG markets in a prudent way. We anticipate that the process will take approximately 12 to 18 months to complete. As we've said previously, the broader U.S. market is an opportunity that's further out on the horizon based on legislative developments, but we are preparing for a regulated market. We've also recently partnered with bwin.party to bring the highest quality real money gaming experiences to our UK players in the first half of 2013.
Keep in mind that this initiative could take as long as 18 months to complete, and that's assuming the Nevada Gaming Control Board will even bite. (Which it totally will.) However, there are still some 40 other states that need to get on board with online gambling, which almost undoubtedly will take far longer than 18 months. What's more interesting is wondering how this will change Zynga's approach to game design. Slot machines in CityVille 2: Are we really that far off?
What do you think of Zynga's move toward gambling in the U.S.? How will this change Zynga's games? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.
