Online poker operators are currently exceptionally keen to develop new markets and find new customers after the recent changes in the US.

Europe is very much a live target with France, Germany and Italy looking particularly attractive, but further afield South East Asia is on the radar, and one new outfit is concentrating on the Asian market in the UK, Europe and India.

India boasts one of the most rapidly growing economies in the world with highly educated affluent communities expanding at astronomical rates, a familiar environment for the gaming community.

Poker is a new leisure pursuit among India’s middle-classes and could follow other pop culture trends as an example of the way Indians strongly embrace western pastimes and passions.

MaharajahClub.com sees the Asian market as a ripe cherry for picking and have recently launched play-for-fun gaming, including poker, with a view to attracting players before switching over to real money play.

Also planned is the Maharajah Club sponsored Asian Poker Classic (APC), which will be held at The Grand Resort in Goa, India from 1-4 March 2007.

The APC is the first major professional poker tournament to be held in India and will include players who have won $7,500 prize packages via satellite tournaments held on the site.

The company is a South Asian owned business operated by Maharajah Gaming and licensed by the Gaming Commission of Curacao, Netherlands Antilles, and part of the Boss Media network.

The look and feel of the site is stylish, with the emphasis on fun with a Bollywood flavour.

Sachin Pawa, CEO of Maharajah Gaming, says, “This is the first time an online gaming company has targeted an audience based on ethnicity. It happens in land-based casino around the world. By targeting ethnically, we can cater to the culturally specific needs of our clients in a way that no other casino on the net can.”

It all looks very promising as the Maharajah Club aims to keep up to date with the latest casino games and promotions, Bollywood excitement and sports celebs, but more importantly, has underpinned its long-term development around responsible gaming.