Zynga Poker is expected to go from strength to strength in 2012

Zynga Poker has reported staggering record revenues of $1.14 billion.

The firm behind facebook's most popular games, including Farmville and Words with Friends, also said the huge rise in income was set to continue this year.

But the online gaming giant still made a loss because of a monster $510 million tax bill and IPO costs.

Since it launched in 2007, Zynga Poker has become one of the most popular games on the internet with 35 million regular players globally.

The firm is set to move into real-money poker later this year and has also positioned itself as a dominant force in the mobile/apps market.

It is currently valued at $8.3billion on the New York Stock Exchange.

Zynga was one of the first companies in the world to launch a 'Timeline App' on the new-look facebook last month. Only 60 firms globally have so far launched the apps, which are expected to dominate the social networking site this year as it seeks to commercialise its user base in the run up to its own stock market floatation.