Real Gambling Next for Zynga? (ZNGA, IGT)

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By Paul Ausick Published

Newly public social gamemaker Zynga Inc. (NASDAQ: ZNGA) is considering offering a real-money gambling game, most likely to be poker. The company’s Facebook Casino attracts some 7 million players every day who are happy to play for fun.

Last week’s purchase of digital gaming company Double Down Interactive LLC by International Gaming Technology (NYSE: IGT) for $250 million and additional payments that could total another $250 million has stirred the pot.

The WSJ’s All Things Digital blog received a statement from Zynga in which the company said:

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.

Any such offering is at least months away, but Zynga can’t afford to be late to the party if real-money is about to hit the virtual table. The company’s share price today is up nearly 4% at $8.85, still well below the IPO price of $10.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Photo of Paul Ausick
About the Author Paul Ausick →

Paul Ausick has been writing for 247Wallst.com for more than a decade. He has written extensively on investing in the energy, defense, and technology sectors. In a previous life, he wrote technical documentation and managed a marketing communications group in Silicon Valley.

He has a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Chicago and now lives in Montana, where he fishes for trout in the summer and stays inside during the winter.

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