Zynga Inc (NASDAQ:ZNGA) lost its crown as the leading publisher of social casino games to Caesar’s Interactive Entertainment, according to Dean Takahashi of VentureBeat based on a report published by Eilers Research.
Caesar’s Interactive Entertainment is subsidiary of Caesars Entertainment Corp (NASDAQ:CZR), one of the most diversified casino entertainment companies worldwide, established more than 70 years ago in Reno, Nevada.
The social casino games market is worth approximately $1.2 billion globally. Competition in the social games market is becoming stronger due to the emergence of start-up companies, and a series of high-profile acquisitions.
Eilers Research cited that Caesar’s Interactive Entertainment became the number one social casino games publisher after the company acquired Slotomania developer Playtika in 2011. Last year, the company launched its own games on Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) such as the Caesar’s Casino, a gambling sim offering video slots, black jack, and roulette. Caesar’s Casino, with its subsidiaries Slotomania Adventures and Bingo Blitz, increased the global market share of Caesar’s Interactive Entertainment to 18.6 percent in the second quarter, making it the number one social casino games publisher.
Zynga’s Lands In Second Place
Zynga Inc (NASDAQ:ZNGA) landed in second place with a 15 percent market share. The online social gaming company previously dominated the market with Zynga Poker. The company launched additional games including Zynga Slingo, Zynga Slots, and Zynga Bingo. The company also recently purchased Spooky Cool Labs, an expert in implementing strategies in real money gaming. Zynga aims to expand its mobile presence and boost its profitability with the acquisition in online real money gambling.
International Game Technology (NYSE:IGT) ranked third with a 14 percent market share, according to Eilers Research. The designer and developer of casino games and gaming equipments previously acquired Double Down Interactive for $500 million, which helped improve its market share. WMS Industries, Inc (NYSE:WMS) landed the fourth position.
According to the report, revenue from social casino games on Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) declined by 2 percent to $309 million from the previous quarter.
During the last period, Zynga Inc’s (NASDAQ:ZNGA) market share dropped due to a double-digit percentage decline in the number of users for Zynga Poker on Facebook and mobile devices. The report cited that the largest standalone social casino on moble platforms is Big Fish Casino with an estimated quarterly revenue of $14.4 million.
Eilers Research projected that social casino games market will grow by 67 percent to $2 billion by the end of 2013.
