Facebook to become Facebet?

The world’s biggest social network looks set to become the world’s biggest online gambling network.

At the start of this month, the first real money gambling app went live on Facebook. It’s a game called Bingo Frenzy, developed by a company Gamesys and involving soft, furry, friendly looking little balls that you bet on with real cash, not Facebook credits, with the chance to win real cash should you select correctly.

The RGA’s Clive Hawkswood describes it as being, “at the softer end of the gambling spectrum and online bingo often has chat forums alongside so it’s an obvious match for Facebook.”  It’s also available to UK players only…so Facebook are understandably taking a softly-softly approach to being an online gambling facilitator.

But gambling is gambling, and make no mistake – the floodgates have opened and once Facebook’s PR machine are done dealing with the first major wave of public criticism other games will follow.  There are other gambling apps on Facebook and no doubt their developers have the ultimate goal of transitioning these games from ‘play money’ to ‘real money’ mode. Indeed Smart Live Gaming have such Facebook aspirations for their live games.

Love it or hate it, I think it’s inevitable that Facebookers will eventually be able to play blackjack, roulette, poker and other casino games.

After a $100 billion float that has since fizzled amid question marks over falling revenue and the sustainability of their advertising revenue model, Facebook are turning to one of the perceived sure fired ways to make a quid online. Maybe the other one (starts with p, ends with orn) is next on the agenda?