San Francisco?? Social games pioneer Zynga confirmed Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) that it has taken a baby step into real-money gaming in the state that is home to casino-rich Las Vegas.
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Zynga said that it has applied to the Nevada Gaming Control Board for a "preliminary finding of suitability" that would clear the way to seek a license to let players of its online games bet real cash.
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"This filing continues our strategic effort to enter regulated RMG (real money gaming) markets in a prudent way," Zynga chief revenue officer Barry Cottle said in an email statement.
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"As we've said previously, the broader US market is an opportunity that's further out on the horizon based on legislative developments, but we are preparing for a regulated market."
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Zynga expected it to take a year to 18 months before the outcome of the application is known and did not reveal whether it intended to pursue a Nevada gambling license of any kind if it is successful.
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Poker and casino style games are among popular Zynga titles.
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The Nevada move came less than two months after Zynga announced a partnership with RMG operator Bwin.party to run poker, roulette, blackjack and other virtual casino games in Britain.
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RMG games from Zynga should be available for play in Britain in the first half of next year, according to Cottle.
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"Partnering with an established leader like Bwin.party is a strategic and prudent way for us to enter a key RMG market while giving local players the real money games they've been asking us for," Cottle said when the partnership was announced.
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In October, Zynga began trimming workers, shuttering studios and shelving older titles to get in financial shape for the long term.
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Zynga was "parting ways" with five percent of its approximately 3,300 full-time workers and dumping 13 games, along with significantly cutting its investment in "The Ville" franchise.
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The cost-cutting measures are intended to let Zynga focus on more promising games and ramp up its network on the Web and on mobile devices.
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Zynga rose to stardom by tailoring games for play by friends on Facebook and went on to create its own online playground at zynga.com. ? Agence France-Presse
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