US Online Gambling Prospects Cause Zynga Investors To Flee
Zynga has been among the most successful gaming companies over the past few years. Investors have been enamored with the gaming giant that gained notoriety through their Facebook platform of games, including Zynga Poker, MafiaWars, and FarmVille.
This month, investors are scaling back their interest in Zynga, thanks in large part to US states beginning the process of regulating real-money online gambling. Nevada and Delaware have previously passed online gambling regulations, and New Jersey became the latest to do so as 2012 came to an end.
As a result, shares of Zynga were down 3% last week. Zynga will not be left out in the cold when the regulations begin. The company has formed partnerships with major gaming companies, and has the technology to easily switch over their game platform to real-money casinos.
Zynga's MafiaWars and FarmVille already collect real money from players. Gamers can buy credits through Facebook that can be used to purchase different items to help them build their mafias and farms. Millions of dollars annually are being spent by dedicated game players.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board has opened up the application process for online gambling licenses. Zynga has applied for a Nevada license, and is also looking to get in on the International market, having filed for a license in the UK.
The recent decline in investors is likely the result of an ever-changing landscape for online gambling. Investors, according to several analysts, "may be unaware that Zynga and other companies have filed for Internet gambling licenses."
The analyst went on to say, "I doubt the Zynga shares will drop for any extent of time. When investors start to figure out that Zynga will be right in the middle of this online gambling explosion in the US, the stock will regain traction at a rapid pace."
The move into the real-money gaming industry will be a tough one for Zynga, with established gaming giants such as Wynn Resorts, Caesars Entertainment, and MGM Mirage have all expressed interest in entering the market with online casinos that would branch out of their land-based operations throughout the US.