Game developer Zynga, which appears to be unfazed by the controversy surrounding its new iOS game Dream Heights, launched a new social bingo game today in a closed beta test on Facebook.

The Disney-owned firm’s hidden-object title beat Zynga’s Cityville to the top spot despite statistics suggesting it has fewer active users. Facebook said it gave priority to games with the highest satisfaction scores.

The Obama administration cleared the way for states to legalize Internet poker and certain other online betting in a switch that may help them reap billions in tax revenue and spur web-based gambling.

The culture, which has been at the root of Zynga’s success, could become a serious liability, warn several former senior employees who agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity because of fear of reprisals.

They span six floors and include a food court, snack bars on every floor, a laptop help center and whiteboard artwork in almost every corner.

The faces and behaviour of online avatars could help identify the people controlling them, scientists believe.
Using both characteristics, researchers hope to develop techniques for checking whether the digital characters are who they claim to be.

Zynga Inc, developer of popular Facebook games such as FarmVille and Mafia Wars, could be the best proxy for investing in Facebook until the world’s largest social network goes public itself.
Zynga filed with regulators on Friday for an initial public offering of up to $1 billion, emphasizing that its relationship with Facebook will play a major role in its future success.

EA made the announcement on the sidelines of the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the video game industry’s annual conference, known as E3.

US attorney charges poker firms’ executives with ‘profiting from illegal gambling’, but action is as much about taxation as morality.

State lawmakers want Nevada to take the lead on regulating Internet poker, a move several legislatures are making after federal efforts to regulate the multibillion-dollar industry fell flat at the end of last year.