Speculation has been running high that Zynga would move into online gambling particularly with its Zynga Poker game and its recently announced Casino series of games.
Unlike the plethora of other Massively Multiplayer Onlinegames, however, Chumba World is tapping into the explosive growth of social casino gaming by letting users customize a full suite of games, and even build and manage their own casinos for real-world income.
That means Second Life is as susceptible to gambling laws as any other onlinecasino, says Sean Kane, an attorney and author of the forthcoming book The Law of Video Games and the Virtual World.
Zynga is also applying for a gaming licence in Nevada, home of Las Vegas, in order to offer players a new suite of casino-style games on which they can bet real money, in conjunction with the online gambling firm Bwin.