RealNetworks Inc., the company that makes the RealPlayer streaming software, is betting it can revive its casual games business with the help of its casino games on Facebook.
The casino arm, which features games including video poker and blackjack, is part of the Seattle company’s GameHouse division. The company is trying to get more users and increase engagement by launching GameHouse Casino Plus, a monthly sweepstakes in which users can enter to win $100,000.
Rob Glaser, founder and interim chief executive of RealNetworks, said casual games are a difficult business because there are many competitors and all the games are essentially the same. The sweepstakes, open to users in Washington, D.C., and 31 states including California, could help GameHouse stand out, he said.
“Most of the time, they are pretty standard games,” Glaser said. “You can innovate around the games by creating a new source of excitement.”
Starting in August, players can enter the drawing with tickets they can earn from winning the company’s games. In states where the cash prize is not available, users can win virtual coins, Glaser said.
Glaser had stepped down from RealNetworks in 2010 at a time when the company’s stock was trading at less than $4 a share, compared with a decade earlier when it was trading at $88.87 a share. Glaser returned to the company as interim CEO last year to help turn around the company.
Shares of RealNetworks, which has seen its revenue fall for four straight years, closed Tuesday at $7.64.
Its gaming business has struggled. In its most recent quarterly earnings report, the company said games revenue fell 27% year-over-year to $13.9 million, and it posted an operating loss of $1.74 million for the first quarter.
