I-Gaming and the EU : level of attractiveness of the EU market for the I-Gaming industry and the opportunities of I-Gaming companies to gain full access to the EU market

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to determine the level of attractiveness of the EU market for the I-Gaming industry and the opportunities of I-Gaming companies to gain full access to the EU market. The study was of an exploratory nature and qualitative techniques were used. Data was collected via in-depth interviews and secondary data collection methods. Sample size of ten was chosen from four sample frames, which were I-Gaming consultancy firms, advocate firms, operators, regulatory bodies, MEPs and corporate service companies, who take care of various administration and decision of I-Gaming operators. Interviews were analysed with Nvivo 10. EU market attracts the I-Gaming industry because of social, technological, economic and to some degree legislative factors. On the other hand, the political and to some extent legislative factors might repel the industry from the EU market. The study found out that the industry acquired normative and cultural-cognitive legitimacy, but it is far from acquiring legislative legitimacy. The I-Gaming industry is in the Local Validation stage of the Legitimacy Strategic Action Process. For more detailed results, a research that studies each Member State vis-à-vis the industry and the EU must be carried out. Furthermore, the results of each Member State could be cross analysed to get into perspective all the results taken from each member in the EU. There are four actions that the industry could consider to gain access to the EU market. The actions that the industry could consider are: No Action Affects, Go Underground, Tactics to Gain Access, and proceed to the Diffusion Stage. Most of all the industry must reunite and diffuse itself. Value ? This research gives the industry the required recommendations to make the future of the I-Gaming industry in the EU promising. This is done by giving suggestions on what factors the industry could focus to achieve full access to EU market.