What legal online gambling could mean to social gaming

Since 2006, online gambling has been illegal in the United States, forcing the lucrative market overseas. The law has also forced social gaming companies to make their Facebook poker games into strictly fake-money affairs (even though many players buy and sell chips for real money through shady third-party services).

That could all be set to change though, with word that the House Financial Services Committee has passed a measure that would legalize and regulate many forms of online gambling, including online poker. If and when the bill eventually becomes law, social games like Zynga's HoldEm Poker, Playdom's World Series of Poker and the millions of other Facebook poker games would seem perfectly positioned to open up the floodgates for real-money bets (assuming Facebook was willing to allow them to, that is). Apparently we're not the only ones to think so, either -- Business Insider quotes a "source close to Zynga" as saying that the company "would be excited to move into real-money poker given the opportunity."

But why stop there? Legal gambling could spread to all sorts of social games. Imagine an in-game Farmville slot machine that takes real money (in the form of Facebook Credits) and occasionally gives back a Farmville cash jackpot. Or imagine having the ability to bet with friends on the outcome of a Bejeweled Blitz high score contest. With many social games already resembling glorified slot machines, we shudder to think at the addictive (and pocketbook-destroying) potential that real-world gambling could have on the social gaming space.

Zynga Poker offers chips on the cheap for just 24 hours

If you're looking to play some cards this weekend, the Labor Day Weekend sales continue with Zynga Poker holding a 24 hour sale on chips and Casino Gold. Zynga's online poker phenom is offering 20 percent more chips than normal on top of the discounted prices.

There couldn't be a better time to pick up some chips when 10 Nintendo Wii consoles are at stake. Through September 10, win Round 3 of any Shootouts game to qualify for a chance to win. Continue reading for details on this short sale.
The 24-hour Zynga Poker chip sale
Here's a breakdown of the discounts on chips available for just 24 hours:

    150 thousand chips for $2
    375 thousand chips for $5
    750 thousand chips for $10
    7.5 million chips for $25 (was $50)
    36 million chips for $75 (was $150)
    72 million chips for $125 (was $250)



For the average player, 375 thousand chips should be enough for a few games just for fun. For the hardcore poker player sitting in on high stakes games, you might want to shoot a bit higher to get the best deal. Here's a list of the discounts on Casino Gold:

    10 Casino Gold for $2
    25 Casino Gold for $5
    50 Casino Gold for $10
    330 Casino Gold for $25 (was $50)
    830 Casino Gold for $50 (was $100)
    1,660 Casino Gold for $75 (was $150)


Clearly, the best deals will be for the high rollers. But considering Casino Gold purchases are purely cosmetic, we doubt the casual poker fan will have to worry about these.

Click here and hurry to the tables to take advantage of these 24-hour deals.

Zynga Poker deals in on Jimmy Kimmel Live, stumps his relatives

Zynga Poker appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night to remind us that the Zynga Poker Con is just around the corner this March 18 and 19. Jimmy announced that players who win in the third round of Shoot Outs are eligible to win a set at the final table in the tournament. However, he realizes that not everyone is a poker pro, so Jimmy Kimmel thought he'd let his Aunt and Uncle teach the uninitiated how to play some Texas Hold 'Em. Let's just say it doesn't go over well. If you're this late to the poker scene, you might not want to learn at a tournament in Las Vegas with $100 thousand on the line. But if you do, we'd imagine there are still tickets available if Zynga is doing spots on late night TV. Considering the tournament is a little over two weeks away, we hope this isn't a bad sign.

[Via Zynga]

Have you signed up for the tournament in Vegas yet? What do you think this TV spot means ultimately for the convention?