Desperate to impress Wall Street, Facebook (FB) now allows users 18 and older in the United Kingdom to play games for real money, TechCrunch
reported on Tuesday. The first gambling application to hit the social
network is called Bingo Friendzy and it offers users the chance to play
various bingo and slot machine games with real money rather than Facebook
credits. Gamesys, a British company that operates the U.K.’s largest
bingo and slots website, is offering the game and while Facebook is not
directly involved, it is reportedly testing the waters to determine if
online gambling might be a viable revenue stream.
“Facebook is a place that allows
people to connect and share,” a Facebook spokesperson said. “Real money
gaming is a popular and well-regulated activity in the UK and we are
allowing a partner to offer their games to adult users on the Facebook
platform in a safe and controlled manner.”
In order to play the game, users will have to verify their identity,
proving they are of age and located in the U.K. Facebook has also banned
all activity from the game from appearing on the news feeds of users
under the age of 18, according to a TechCrunch source.
“Young people are far more likely
to see an ad for Bingo on the TV or in a betting shop window as they
walk to school than they are on Facebook,” the source said, noting that
users from outside the U.K. will not be able to see the ads either.
Resource : Yahoo News
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