The MGA was established in 2001 to regulate the various sectors of the gaming industry that fall under the MGA’s authority, by ensuring fairness transparency to players using gaming services, preventing crime, corruption, and money laundering and to protect minor and vulnerable players.
Ever since that day, people looking to create an adventure for themselves have moved their business to the small Mediterranean island and the business has been booming. This was at least the truth until we hit 2018 and the industry saw the curve flatten overnight. Was the golden era over? The answer to this question was found in India.
A boom came to a halt
From the early 2000s and up until now, the technology available to us has developed tremendously. Like a small fish to a whale, the online casino industry has been feeding off this development and expanded their revenue to numbers you and I can’t possibly imagine.
However, in 2018 the incredible growth was brought to a halt and the companies started to ask the inevitable question; have we reached the peak?
With the United Kingdom and Sweden, two of the biggest markets being regulated under a different license than the MGA license and lawmakers becoming more and more strict, it was certainly looking like it was.
The first reaction to the flattening was similar to what we see in other industries. They started to cut costs and decrease the headcounts in literally all companies in order to adjust. At the same time, a few brilliant heads took this as an opportunity to expand into new markets.
Their focus shifted to Asia where they discovered some major economies and amongst them, the solution to all their problems; India.
Having paid little or no attention to what was happening in Asia, mostly due to the language barrier, it came as a surprise to some that others were entering the Indian market. On the other hand, India represented the 3rd biggest economy in the world with people having solid understanding of English, so it made sense.
Already from the beginning, it became evident that the market was ready for online gambling and it came with an interest online casinos had been desperately seeking for years.
Indian players like the real deal
The interest Online Casinos all over the world had been seeking, was found in India during 2019. Up until that year, the slot machines counted as money machines for the industry, however, naturally having a higher turnover, the live casino games carried a huge potential.
With the great number of new players from India, having an interest in traditional table games, and modern game shows, this vertical has brought online gambling into a new and profitable era.
With the majority of new players now coming from India, the industry was not only saved, but it was also changed. The shift of focus from new releases of slot machines, had to share the spotlight with new games such as Real Money Teen Patti. Andar Bahar suddenly became more popular than ever and the bingo game show, Mega Ball appeared.
With a sudden change of revenue, forward-thinking and quick adjustment, the online gambling industry managed to save itself with the help of the Indian people.
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