Zynga Aims For Social Gamblers

The expression is: “If you can’t run with the big dogs, stay on the porch”. Social gaming icon, Zynga, is perfectly happy to do that. Instead entering the race for the existing hardcore gambling market in the United Kingdom, Zynga is ratcheting up its popular social gaming platform to allow for real money exchanges. This “social porch” may be right up Zynga’s alley.

During a Morgan Stanley Conference last week, Mark Pincus, Zynga founder and CEO, said that social gambling “makes it more exciting than when you’re by yourself in an anonymous poker room.” While he didn’t release any details about the foray into online gambling, he did state that the company had plans to introduce real-money games the same way it brought the world its social gaming platform to the general public: with mass market appeal.

Zynga as a company has struggled as of late, downsizing its workforce and consolidating its offices. Many analysts see branching into online gambling as a life preserver for the company. Zynga has applied for a gambling operator’s license in Nevada, and is currently awaiting approval.

Zynga originally got it start with the social gaming franchises FarmVille and CityVille. After forming a partnership with Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment to offer real-money online poker and casino games in the UK.