Zynga are apparently out of the race to become the new owners of the Ongame Network. Pokerfuse are reporting that a source close to the negotiations has stated that talks for the purchase are ongoing without the presence of the social gaming specialists. Zynga are the first of five prospective suitors to drop out of the race to purchase bwin.party’s surplus asset after the latter had hoped to sell it off in the midst of the Nevada online poker scramble. First it was Shuffle Master cashing in their 30-day no quibbles money back guarantee on the asset and now Zynga became the latest to seemingly be ruled out of the race.
It does leave the four other companies that were mentioned in an article written on eGR around two months ago – all of which they neglected to mention by name. If Zynga has pulled out of the deal it could signal a number of things. Are they finally admitting that the online poker market is simply to hard to crack, or is it that Ongame just doesn’t look that attractive anymore?
Golden Gaming has lodged an application to become an online poker operator in Nevada. eGR reports the firm has joined a list of around 30 applicants and could have its application heard in October later this year. There is no indication, yet, as to how they’ll go about things with the two options either working on an in-house poker product or licensing one.
Caesars Interactive Entertainment (CIE) has been given a date for their online poker operator application hearing. eGR reports that the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) will pick their way through Caesars’ application on September 6 by which time the global gaming industry giant will know where it stands.
