Facebook and 888 To Offer Cash Games In 2013
December 23, 2012 1:29 pmA deal has been struck between Facebook and 888 Holdings which will see the two businesses join forces and offer real-money games in the U.K at the start of 2013. Commenting on the new partnership, 888 CEO Itai Frieberger said: “Our Facebook freemium offerings have found a significant audience, and we are very excited by the opportunity that real money gaming on Facebook provides. We are working closely with Facebook on this launch, ensuring we introduce the best of both worlds of real money and social gaming.”
As part of the deal, Facebook will be offering its users the opportunity to participate in casino games such as roulette, blackjack, bingo and slot machine. Allowable stakes are believed to be as high as £500 with five-figure potential winnings possible.
Apparently, Facebook will put in place strict safeguards to ensure only players over 18 will take part in cash games. The social media site will then receive a 30% commission on all wagers and as Facebook European Head of Games Partnerships Julien Codorniou explains: “Facebook is a great platform for playing games with your friends and we are really pleased to be working with 888, who have a strong reputation on both the quality and safety of their games.”
However, this is not the first time Facebook has moved into cash games and last August it launched its real-money bingo offering called Bingo Friendzy, followed by slot machines after partnering with software developer Gamesys. Facebook’s previous games partner Zynga has also taken steps to penetrate the UK’s real money games market and has teamed-up with bwin.party Digital Entertainment to offer its products next year. These will also be available on Facebook.