Zynga seeks gambling license in Nevada

Zynga has applied for a gambling license in the state of Nevada.

The social gaming company has faced plenty of criticism on how it has played its hand on Facebook and mobile, and the company has moved to cut ties with the social network it once dominated.

This frees it to split its bet on social games, and prepare to take advantage of online gambling should the U.S. choose to legalize such games.

The application for a "Preliminary Finding of Suitability" with the Nevada Gaming Control Board would, if approved, make the company able to take real money bets from players within the state.

Zynga will be operating real cash gambling games within the UK early next year.

"As we’ve said previously, the broader U.S. market is an opportunity that’s further out on the horizon based on legislative developments, but we are preparing for a regulated market," said the company in a statement provided to Reuters.

This won’t mean any changes for at least a year; such a license is expected to take 12-18 months to approve.