PokerStars Testing Facebook Social Poker App

PokerStars is dipping its toes in the social gaming market with a new Facebook poker app called, PokerStars.net for Facebook.The new app is designed to work in conjunction with the company’s free-to-play site PokerStars.net.
PokerStars.net for Facebook is designed as a social game with chat, virtual items and most of the bells and whistles social players have come to expect so far, there’s been no mention of converting it to a real-money gambling  (RMG) app.
The company is currently referring to the new app as, “ongoing research and development efforts, and is just one of a whole range of areas that we are working on,” so don’t be surprised if future roll-outs include RMG functionality.
Though the app is currently in limited beta, the mere mention of it is a major blow to its biggest competitor, Zynga’s Texas Hold ‘Em. Zynga’s been having an extremely tough time as it attempts to compete in the mobile and land-based gaming markets.
Of course competition is a two-way street. It’s expected that Zynga will be rolling out its’ own RMG poker product in the near future.
Do you think PokerStars can compete with Zynga in the social poker space? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.