Facebook ventures into online gambling | Hacker News Reader

Facebook ventures into online gambling

on.ft.com

19 pointsmartius21 comments

Link to the article that works:

http://www.google.is/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s...

Am I the only that thinks this is very, very wrong? Basically, indoctrinate from a very young age your future clientele to use your website for day to day activites while making it acceptable for the parents to let their kids use Facebook from a very young age, increasing brand awareness by doing so, then when they're ready BLAM. Give them easy access to these gambling features.

I fear this is a very dangerous move morally for Facebook, and are venturing a lot more into the "evil" category than just "selling your privacy" evil.

Am I right in thinking that Facebook is an American business doing something in another country which is illegal in the US? Internet gambling was banned in the US, right? And that's fine with US authorities? But if a foreign business, like say Megaupload, does something which is illegal in the US, but in a foreign country all hell breaks loose.

So: US company + breaks US law + foreign country = OK Foreign company + breaks US law + foreign country = not OK

Is this not a double standard? I mean, Im still not seen google's torrent search being attacked by the FBI or who ever.

Don't get me wrong here, I don't support laws banning gambling, and I'm all for facebook, or who ever, having gambling operations where they like, but it doesn't sit right give the over all context at all.

Must have missed something, cant imagine US authorities really behaving in such a biased way.

Online gambling isn't illegal in the US, but financing it has been illegal since the SAFE Port Act[1] passed. Poker sites were still getting around the provision by hiding the source of transactions through payment processors. The recent shutdown of poker sites to US customers was actually a shutdown of these payment processors used to fund US accounts.

1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAFE_Port_Act#Internet_gambling...

I believe the difference between the two is that Facebook is planning to constrain the use of the gambling to countries and users where it is regulated and legal, so no laws will be broken provided those constraints are adhered to. I haven't read a lot about the MU case, but I believe the allegations are that they facilitated copyright infringement with no constraints on geographical location where this infringement took place - so it happened in countries where there are laws prohibiting such activities.

If you enter the site via a google search you don't get the paywall just do a search for the title: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Facebook+ventures+into+onl...

http://www.dailyhostnews.com/bingo-friendzy-the-worlds-first...

If you don't have access to ft.com (one of the few pay walls that are worth the money)

Bingo friendzy http://www.jackpotjoyfriendzy.com/

tldr; Gamesys Group have released the first play for cash game on the Facebook canvas

edit Added link to the game

I believe actions like this can actually drive away regular facebook users. Their need for income is taking them further away from what should be their goal and that's to "be cool again". Naturally, people's interest has been dropping and they need a way to restore it. Gambling is not a way to do it and they can lose much more than they can gain with it.

"So... you seem to have a gambling problem"

(during a job/bank loan interview)

They seem kinda desperate with all their recent plans. It is such a shame, they make good money and could really make a difference with more patience.

Online Gambling? What a joke.

Why is on line gambling a joke? Its a serious money spinner. Its the one thing, weidro laws aside, facebook have announced that actually makes some sense, and isn't offensive to the privacy folk.

Or are you making strange moral point bout gambling?

I will move over my comment from here: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4349761:

It is such a joke because gambling addiction is in thesame fold as drug addition:

Title: The neurobiology of pathological gambling and drug addiction: an overview and new findings: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2607329/

Before you talk of it being a money spinner, we need to first ask:

a. If Facebook is harming society by this new act of desperation.

B. is Facebook exposing its users to a new habit that could be destructive?

I think gambling is one of those dirty sources, for some it'd be like if facebook created a porn section or a dating area. Neither in themselves damaging but still socially awkward

Alternativly maybe he just doesn't see gambling as a big industry.

I'm not objective here at all, and people are entitled to disagree, but, yes, gambling to me is 'unwholesome'.

I disagree. What is and isnt wholesome shifts based on politics and social whim.

All this talk from Zuckerberg, "We don't care about Money", "I wan't to connect people" aso. seems cynic with their recent plans.

I buy that Apple really cares about great products. I don't like how controlling they are with their app store, but at least is makes sense for user experience reasons.

What should i believe about Facebook, do they want to connect people at gambling therapy sessions? How does it improve anything? Funny how Peter Thiel attacks Google for not being a real technology company.

I think you making the assumption that the only people that would gamble are addicts.. Or that gambling causes gambling addiction. Theres nothing to suggest either.

Plenty of people drink, most arent alcoholics. Plenty of people take precription drugs, most arent addictded to them.

I think this is a move to capture an area of a market thats been growing, despite being shunned. Better still if its more sociably acceptable, we can only hope that those who do develop addictions feel as though they are able to seek help without fear of suffering social punishment due to the stigma associated

I don't want to discuss gambling addictions, this was obviously a sarcastic comment.

Do you think this is an appropriate market for a so called technology company who wants to "connect the world"?

I don't think it's an inappropriate market. it's an opportunity for game developers to recapture the strength of the Facebook api - connect and actually make some cash using the Facebook platform. Keep in mind that gambling has existed on Facebook already, just the players could never win spendable cash. The mechanics compared to social games remain much the same, with the exception of there being external regulators watching to ensure that players aren't unfairly exploited

Given Facebook was originally intended for university age people, able to make a decision to fight, kill and die for their beliefs and country. I would argue such an environment is where one would expect to find people capable of making a judgment call over weather or notto place a bet.

If your argumentis that Facebook is a technology company and should not be involved in gambling then you are flat out wrong. Innovation should be followed where ever it emerges, otherwise companies will falter and die and we as a human society will miss out on great things. Not to say that gambling is an amazing piece of innovation although I am Sure there where some technical achievements in producing bingo frendzy, who should be the moral compass on what is a global network. If as a planet we can't even keep a clear line on what is statutory , on weather homosexuality is fine or a criminal offence, on of we should teach children about safe sex

It seems your stance against Facebook allowing play for real cash has little to do with the technology, and everything to do with a perception that gambling = bad. Please correct me if I am wrong

Which really is a shame to see on HN. I'd expect to see arguments pro or against based on the merits of what Facebook can deliver, on the demographics of the Facebook market, alternatives... Heck, how if in any way this alters the zynga play book.

I turn the question to you, where would an appropriate place for such games be?

Online gambling is a pretty fat market, worth over a billion bucks a year. You say joke, businesses say smart. Essentially turning users into actual profit. And for once we get something back instead of just being a marketing platform

Certainly not expecting Zynga to take this lying down

Sorry, I misread your comment. :redface

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