| Machiavellian said: Not sure why people did not see this coming. When their is big money to be gain, big money starts to show up. The gaming industry is by far outpacing everything when you include mobile and all the big money players want a piece. |
I think lots of people saw it coming. Regimes have been purchasing western legitimacy and ways into markets and marketing by buying sport teams etc. for a long time. Western companies also do this, it's a common way of gaining traction with an expanded audience and potentially a really sound investment. Qatari interests are looking to buy Manchester United, for instance. And Saudi owners already stand behind Manchester City and Newcastle.
The gaming industry is beyond massive, I think it doubled in revenue from 2015 to 2022. The most interesting tidbit for me is that there seems to be an increase in revenue per user/capita, more so than actual expansion of user bases. I think making people spend smaller sums more often is key to this, especially in the mobile sector (which is the biggest by far). So, yeah, it's a solid strategy from these investors, but I doubt that it will benefit us, or the people (well; certain people) of Saudi-Arabia much at all.
