Card Player – Zynga announced a few days ago that it is now trying its hand at accepting Bitcoins, a virtual currency that has gained steam in recent months. “In response to Bitcoin’s rise in popularity around the world, Zynga, with help from BitPay, is testing expanded payment options for players to make in-game purchases using Bitcoin,” the firm said in a statement.
“The Bitcoin test is only available to Zynga.com players playing FarmVille 2, CastleVille, ChefVille, CoasterVille, Hidden Chronicles, Hidden Shadows and CityVille…Zynga is always working to improve our customer experience by incorporating player feedback into our games. We look forward to hearing from our players about the Bitcoin test so we can continue in our efforts to provide the best possible gaming experience.”
Zynga was once expected to be a player in the real-money online poker market in the United States, but the company ended up ditching those plans, at least for now. Its free-play, “social” poker app on Facebook still boasts a massive database of players. Bitcoin has made an impact in the online poker world. Just a couple of years ago or so, an online poker site became the first to allow its users to use the virtual currency.
Are Bitcoins the next big online gambling frontier? The currency has been controversial at times, though. Late last year, an online Bitcoin-fueled marketplace that sold drugs and other illegal goods was shut down by the feds.
