MGA Group wants to grow in Italy and studies to enter in Latin America

Mexico, Panama and Colombia are the markets that the Catalonian firm is analyzing to open online casinos in them, although Sanahuja is very careful when valuing real chances that this interest is materialized in concrete projects. "I hope we have notices soon, but I want to be careful and, at the momento, I just can say that we are watching it", assures Enric Sanahuja, son the founder and president of the company, Jaume Sanahuja.

Italy is the only country in which MGA currently operates, which has been present in the region for more than 10 years through online casinos and recreational venues in Rome, Genoa and Turin.

The group, which has its venue in Cerdanyola del Vallès (Barcelona), discards for the momento to expand its business to other European countries and bets to reinforce its presence in Italy, a market that, unlike the Spanish market, very debilitated by the crisis, has experimented a considerable growth in recent years.

MGA has achieved in 2011 a turnover close to 88.5 million euros, a 3.6 % more than in 2010, specially thanks to this good behaviour of the business in Italy and to the income resulting from “the activities out of the gaming business".

Jaume Sanahuja was the creator of the first AWP machine in Spain and one of the pioneers in online casinos and entertainment centers dedicated to the family, big venues located in shopping centers.

The company, however, decided to diversify its business 20 years ago with a real-state unit and, more recently, betting on restaurants. The real-state division of MGA is dedicated to the purchase of industrial ships, commercial stores, offices, houses and parking spaces in Catalonia and Madrid Council for its future leasing.

Enric Sanahuja acknowledges that, due to the crisis, the company "has put a stop" to this business, although they still continue analyzing “all the opportunities” that arise in “prime” zones, which are those located in the center of the city.

Besides, MGA decided, two years ago, to enter in the field of restaurants, with the opening of two franchises of Japanese fast food Udon, one in the shopping center La Maquinista and the other in Glòries, and 'Fuuud', a bar located in the center of Sabadell (Barcelona).

Sanahuja assured that the main business line of MGA is and will continue being gaming, despite the fact that the company has opened, in two years, three food centers show that the bet on this business is “serious” and that new openings are not discarded.
So far, MGA does not have new short-term diversification plans, although it has started operating, in Alliance with UK firm Stan James, the betting website goldenpark.es, after having achieved one of the online gaming licenses that the government has granted, after months of procedure.

MGA Director –his brother Joan holds the other vice-presidency of the group- believes online gaming will be a “very important” division in five years, when a great part of the collection of the company will come from this division.

MGA, on the other hand, has led a group of businessmen dedicated to the gaming sector which have designed an alternative project to macro-complex Eurovegas which plans to build in Spain US tycoon Sheldon Adelson, although the location is still not known.

This complex would have four hotels communicated with one another via an underground path and would also have a big casino, commercial stores with all the international deluxe firms, one of the biggest convention centers in Europe and a theatre with prestigious plays.