MaharajahClub.com is set to widen its reach when play-for-fun only gaming site MaharajahClub.net goes live in India on November 1.

As the first online gaming site to specifically target the Asian market in the UK, Europe and South East Asia, Maharajah Club is ideally placed to make an impact in the up-and-coming market in India. The new US law making online gambling illegal is set to have an impact on the industry worldwide and as the focus switches to new markets, Maharajah Club will use its strong cultural relevancy and team of experts to make its mark in Asia.

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 very new recreation 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.

As the first online gaming site to aim its launch towards the Asian market, MaharajahClub.net brings the fun side of gaming to India. Their new play-for-fun site will help grow the game on the continent by teaching first-timers how to play and increase poker's widespread appeal among beginners and seasoned players alike.

Maharajah Club has already underpinned its commitment to India with its involvement in a Bollywood-based TV show and support for MahaCricket.com, a cricket website carrying news stories, latest stats and community news. This follows the news that Maharajah Club will be sponsoring the Asian Poker Classic (APC), which will be held at The Grand Resort in Goa, India from March 1-4 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 at MaharajahClub.com.

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.”