BBC Worldwide is taking a gamble by asking its viewers to take a gamble. The broadcasting giant's commercial subsidiary is to add pay for gaming to its repartee.

The foray will begin with a premium The Weakest Link game, which will be advertised to viewers at the end of Anne Robinson's popular (although incredibly tedious by now, right?) gameshow.

BBC Worldwide hopes that this move will open up a new wave of revenue streams for the subsidiary, which has targets of making a £200 million profit by 2012.

The Weakest Link game will cost from a pound to play and the BBC is in partnership with Amuso.com for the venture.

"BBC Worldwide is always keen to extend a brand beyond the traditional use, and social gaming is one of great interest to us", said Robert Nashak, executive vice president of digital entertainment at BBC Worldwide.

If you're worried that your under-age kids will be tempted to play the game after seeing the advert then fear not, players will have to undergo a strict entry procedure before they are allowed to participate. This involves entering a date of birth upon signup. We wonder how young whipper-snappers will crack that enigma style system.

BBC Worldwide is stating that the birth date details will be checked against the 192 verification service though, and that anyone wanting to deposit £50 or more will need to prove their identity by scanning a passport or driver's licence.

What do you reckon? Is it right for the BBC to go down this road? Let us know using the comments below.