Online Gambling ‘Natural Fit’ For Zynga

Zynga CEO Mark Pincus has given the biggest indication yet that his company is serious about entering the online gambling arena, while speaking at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecom conference in San Francisco.

"I think it's a good natural fit," Pincus said about Zynga and online gambling. He added that although most people haven't yet noticed it, real money gaming is the perfect fit with virtual goods and social games.

Pincus said Zynga was well positioned to take on the industry's biggest names because Zynga Poker is already the largest online poker provider in the world with more than 30 million players. He also referred to the release of other casino-related games like Zynga Bingo.

But those who think Zynga will focus only on traditional games are mistaken, Pincus said. He forecast that industry observers "should expect to see us do a lot more than what you've seen in offshore casinos."

Online gambling presents a massive opportunity for Zynga and other social gaming companies. The American market is the goal, and recent developments in the United States - including a US Department of Justice ruling - could pave the way for Internet gambling to become legal in some states.

Facebook real money gambling is also expected to become reality sooner rather than later. Leading online casino software provider International Game Technology paved the way when it agreed to pay half a billion bucks for Double Down Interactive - another developer of casino-style games for the social network.