Facebook touts gambling to 'responsible' Brits

Facebook has - for the first time - opened up its network to gamblers wanting to play online via the service in the UK. The first gambling application on the social network was added this morning.

The Mark Zuckerberg-run company has "age-gating" and "geo-location" technology to help determine that anyone wishing to play real cash games on the site is least 18 years old and living in Blighty.

London-based Gamesys, which runs online bingo for Rupert Murdoch-owned newspaper The Sun, added its Jackpotjoy gaming app – dubbed Bingo & Slots Friendzy – to Facebook's UK App Centre earlier this morning.

"People love playing new types of games with their friends on Facebook and real money gaming is a popular leisure activity in the UK," said the dominant social network's head of EMEA gaming, Julien Codorniou.

Gamesys, which also has offices in Newcastle, Malta and Gibraltar, said that a "series of controls" would be put in place to prevent youngsters and "vulnerable people" from playing the bingo app on Facebook. Among other things, identity checks will be carried out.

For Facebook, the decision to add a gambling app to its network is a bit of a no-brainer in terms of generating new revenue streams from its users in the UK. ®