Tag: Facebook

Gambling on Facebook

Do you enjoy playing blackjack online? Do you enjoy getting on social media sites such as Facebook? What if the two were combined? That’s right; your favorite social media site is gearing up to start offering online gambling to their users in the UK. They are using the UK as a starting point because online wagering is far more accepted there than any other place in the world. The government is very much involved, and Facebook sees it as a great way to expand their brand.

Now if you use Facebook you may have seen various applications that allow you to play certain types of casino games, this is quite different. These are actual casinos that use real money. There are over 20 different websites looking to team up with the popular social media site, the two front runners being 888 and Gamesys. Facebook is working diligently trying to work out negotiations with several gambling sites and experts.

One aspect that is keeping Facebook from making any decisions at the moment is age verification. The company works hard to provide a safe and secure atmosphere for teenagers and adults, and certain credits claim that the addition of gambling on the site will be detrimental. While others argue that if a person is old enough to read then they have surely been exposed to gambling, sex, and others of the sort.

Rest assured that Facebook will only be working with the best online casinos. Would you play blackjack on Facebook? Many speculate that the site has run out of all other revenue opportunities, what do you think?

21 Blackjack Party

For those of you who have an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch and who love to play blackjack on the go, you will be quite pleased with what Spin3 is doing with their 21 Blackjack Party app.

Back in February of this year Spin3 was launched, and 21 Blackjack Party was their first game to be sold in the Apple App Store. Spin3 itself is actually a division of Spiral Solutions who is known for being a leader in eGaming services and managing those services.

The Spin3 21 Blackjack Party app has been a hit with those who like to play blackjack on the go, not to mention that this particular blackjack app is free.

But Spin3 was looking to take the abilities of the 21 Blackjack Party app further, make it even more well-known. And recently they found out just how to spread the word about their darling blackjack app: Facebook.

Yes, we are back to talking about Facebook again. But the social networking site is worming its way into everything in some form or another. I remember when people asked if businesses had a company website; now they ask if they have a Facebook page.

I digress.

So how is 21 Blackjack Party opening its little programmed heart to the social networking giant? It is quite simple really. Players who are playing can post their progress to their Facebook pages so that their friends can see just how awesome—or not awesome—they are doing with blackjack. At least that is the surface of this app’s integration with Facebook, but it is never as simple as what is on the surface anymore.

The Head of Spin3, Matti Zinder, said, “Our social lives and our digital lives are becoming more and more connected with more than 150 million active users currently accessing Facebook through their mobile devices globally.”

But Zinder also says, “It is crucial that Spin3 is active at the heart of new consumer trends and technologies. The ability to link our casino-style games into players’ digital lives represents a new level of integration and a huge opportunity for the mobile casino industry.”

Now I do not know about you, but to me it seems that under the surface Spin3 is using Facebook and 21 Blackjack Party as a bridge to try to increase their own customer base. Let current players post their blackjack progress and hope their friends will want to play too.

But those of you who are already playing 21 Blackjack Party, Spin3’s decision to link its app to Facebook should be a nice addition, especially if you want your friends to know just how good of a blackjack player you are.

Will Zynga Make a Mobile Blackjack Game?

Online blackjack players might find their favorite online casino game on their Facebook sooner than they think.

Zynga recently bought out the iPhone and iPad app creator Bonfire. The reason for the speculation over a possible Zynga Blackjack is because Bonfire created the We Farm mobile app, which is one of the top ten grossing iPad and iPhone games. And We Farm is very similar to Zynga’s extremely well-known Farmville Facebook game.

But Farmville is not Zynga’s only Facebook game to fame. They are also behind another Facebook game called Zynga Poker. Poker and blackjack are two of the most popular online casino games in the online casino industry. Because of that popularity, it would not be a far cry to see Zynga create a Zynga Blackjack game.

But with the recent buyout of Bonfire, who used to work with Microgaming on PC and Xbox 360 games such as Halo Wars and Age of Empires, Zynga may be on the move to increase their online gaming world both with a move further into the mobile app arena as well as moving further into online casino games.

And Zynga is no stranger to the mobile app arena, although it is only a small contender as of yet with its Zynga Live Poker mobile app. With the technology and graphics capabilities of a developer who has worked with the likes of Microgaming, who knows what apps Zynga will produce for the iPhone and iPad—their ever popular Facebook games could all go mobile.

However, I think that Zynga would profit more from moving further into the realm of online gambling by creating more Zynga Live apps for other casino games, such as online blackjack.

Golden Nugget’s New Online Blackjack

Seems that everyone is hoping on the social media band wagon.

Yesterday I talked about how Golden Nugget launched their very own Facebook game called Golden Nugget Vegas Casino with the help of Last Legion.

In this Facebook game players manage their own casino. They can install blackjack tables, slot machines and more. The y work to expand their casino offerings and their casinos themselves by ‘harvesting’ the profits of their chosen casino games.

But this is not just a ‘farming’ Facebook game. Golden Nugget has not gone to the trouble of creating a Facebook game simply for the enjoyment of Facebook members. Golden Nugget is trying to expand their brand name and increase awareness of their casino—both the brick and mortar casino and the online casino.

“The goal is to reach new eyeballs and get the brand in front of more people,” said Amy Chasey who is the Vice President of Marketing at Golden Nugget.

But building and managing your own casino is not where the real brand awareness is being plastered. Players can visit the casinos of their friends and play their favorite casino games with play money. In a way this is another form of playing blackjack online.

After clicking on a game, say the blackjack table, that you want to play online in your friend’s casino, the screen changes to a format similar to that of a regular online blackjack game. With the words ‘Golden Nugget’ splashed across the table of course.

In short, it is just another way of playing online blackjack. For free.

You can then wager $5, $25 or $100 per hand. The blackjack online in this casino Facebook game has standard house rules. But I am willing to wager that despite the fact that you are playing with fake money, the payout percentage is not all that great. Even playing with basic strategy you will find that you lose more often than you win. There is almost a feeling that the hands you normally win in ordinary online blackjack, you lose in this game.

Thankfully you are only playing with play money in this game. Golden Nugget has not created a real money option for their new game…yet.

Lastly, the avatars are a bit scary as they have big heads and kind of resemble those Bratz Dolls. But you do not see them while you are playing blackjack as the table fills the window.

Blackjack and Casinos Meet Online in Facebook

Ever heard of Casinoville? Sounds a lot like that Farmville that is so popular on Facebook. If you like your blackjack and ever wondered what it would be like to own your own casino then this Facebook game is right up your alley.

Okay, I was half joking. There is no Facebook online game called Casinoville…although with all of the Ville online games on Facebook I am surprise there is not a Casinoville yet.

However if you want to get your blackjack and casino owning fun on there is a Facebook online game for you.

Last Legion has created and released a Facebook game called Golden Nugget Vegas Casino. In this Facebook game players can build their very own casino to manage. Online. Yes, I know, you would be online building a brick and mortar casino to play in online. This is kind of like one of those mirror in a mirror things.

But not only do players of Golden Nugget get to build and manage their own casinos—like those Ville Facebook games—they can play in them too. You can play blackjack, video poker and roulette. To win chips to do more things to your casino.

It seems the chips are the key to the game. Players can play in their own casino for chips, or they can visit their friends’ casinos and play there for chips.

Part of managing your own casino in this game is to draw in non-player patrons and win their money off of them. Talk about the shoe being on the other foot. But if you get bored of playing the house you can always roam the floor of your own casino and play blackjack all you want.

And unlike all of those Ville games, Golden Nugget is played entirely with fake money—those chips I spoke of. The chips are in game money that do not cost a single penny of your real money. So Last Legion and Golden Nugget are not angling for your cash…for now.

CEO of Last Legion, Seth Gearson, says, “It’s pretty satisfying to actually generate in-game money in a way other than the classic social game format.” Translation: You do not have to harvest crops to earn money—you merely win it off of your friends…which is in the true spirit of gambling.

I suppose you could think of it as a garage game of blackjack in which you take your friends chips. Only this is all on Facebook where you can make a cute little casino avatar of yourself.

Oh, and since this is your own casino you can have all of the blackjack tables you want.