Facebook Poker: Real Money Play in UK?

Facebook Poker currently has millions players at their free tables every month on Facebook and mobile platforms. Now plans to hand out eight licences for real money play in the UK are underway.

The world's largest social network boasts the world's largest poker room, albiet for play money. This could change for UK players in the near future though with Facebook "rumoured to have recently hired a significant number of personnel to work launching real money play in the UK" according to EGR.

While the timeframe for this remains ambiguous, it is confirmed that "early stage discussions" are taking place with several operators including PokerStars and 888. Facebook have sketched out plans to offer eight licences to eight operators across four verticals.

This shows that Facebook apparently plans to partner up with existing operators, launching poker with real money and not Facebook branded credits. Currently, Facebook earns 30% of virtual currency deposits from social gaming with users unable to cash out real tender.

The most popular gaming platform on Facebook is Zynga Poker, which boasts over 30 million monthly users playing for free chips. Other popular free money online gaming applications on the social networking site include Bingo Blitz and Double Down Casino.

Real money poker by early 2012?

According to EGR, Facebook could launch real-money play in the UK as soon as the first quarter of 2012. While the UK has been marked as the first regulated market for real-money play via Facebook, it could open the door for other regulated territories if the UK proves successful.

Various sources say that Gamesys, the brains behind JackpotJoy and the Red or Black slot game, as well as 888, are "first in the queue". Gamesys' Facebook presence is not insignificant with 1.7m monthly users for its slots games while 888's 650,000 monthly users generate annual revenues of over $10m from the Facebook Bingo Island game.

The UK have been relaxing their policies regarding social media gaming for real money. In August, real money online gaming advertisments were permitted alongside play-for-fun products in the appropriate countries according to local laws.