About the Isle of Man jurisdiction

The Isle of Man is an island located in the Irish Sea between Britain and Ireland. It is a British Crown Dependency, but it has their own government and is not considered part of the United Kingdom. The Isle of Man Government actively encourages the development of gambling and e-gaming business on the island. After the crash in the e-gaming market in the early 2000’s, when the Isle of Man was left with no gambling companies, the government has done everything possible to bring gambling operators back to the country. In 2001, the Isle of Man Government was one of the first jurisdictions in the world to introduce legislation specifically designed to benefit gambling and e-gaming firms and fully protect customers. Following further recent changes, the licensing and regulatory controls are now more responsive to the needs of the gambling and e-gaming industries. Today, the Isle of Man is considered a basic model for online gaming in countries that either seek their licensing or wish to implement their own infrastructure and promote e-gaming.

The Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission, which is part of the Treasury Department, was established in 1962 and is fully independent body, committed to player protection. It regulates all gambling on the island, dealing with licence applications from companies looking to move their business to the jurisdiction. The Commission also provides full assistance to licensees to help them conduct their online gaming activity within the regulations.

Isle of Man Licences

Since the downslide in 2002, the government has taken steps taken to attract new gambling operators. Now the Department of Trade and Industry oversees the licensing, and the previous $2 million USD security bond has been renegotiated, making licenses much more affordable for smaller operators. What is more, the Isle of Man improved their regulations and laws, and now no income tax is taken out of the e-gaming sector. These changes have prompted even more business, and while there are a few operators licensed in the Isle of Man, they are among the most successful online gaming venues around.

In order to apply for a license, operators must first request an application from the Gambling Supervision Commission and pay a non-refundable fee of £1,000. Then a thorough inspection process takes place, wherein each prospective operator is rigorously checked for credibility. Applicants must prove fairness of their games, keep enough money reserved for payouts whenever requested, and be regarded as a reputable gaming provider. The operators licensed in the Isle of Man have to pay an annual license fee of £35,000, and a 1.5% tax on gross gaming yield up to the amount of £20,000,000. The corporation tax is 0% so long as the site does not accept bets from the Isle of Man residents.

Resolution of Complaints and Disputes

The Gambling Supervision Commission is statutorily charged to ensure that gambling is conducted honestly and fairly, remains free from criminal influence and exploitation and does not cause harm to the public interest, individuals and families. If a complaint arises with a Mann-licensed operator , players should, first of all, contact the licence holder about their grievance. If they are dissatisfied with the response and have exhausted all avenues with the casino operator, they can contact the Commission by email at [email protected]. To speed up the query, player are asked to fill in the Complaints Form and send it to the Commission.

Summing up

After the e-gaming crash, the Isle of Man relaxed requirements in order to attract new business. However, the standards have gotten stricter in recent years, and the jurisdiction is proving they are serious about fair gaming. Due to the improvements and implementation of a Gambling Supervision Commission, you don’t have to worry about depositing at a casino licensed in this jurisdiction.

For more information visit the Gambling Supervision Commission’s website at http://www.gov.im/gambling/benefits/aboutgcc.xml

Online casinos with a licence granted by the Gambling Supervision Commission:

• 188BET Casino

• Bella Jackpot Casino

• BetInternet Casino

• Camasino Casino

• Casino Magic

• Casinover Casino

• Dublinbet Casino

• Global Live Casino

• Lucky Live Casino

• Mamut Games Casino

• PokerStars Casino

• Rogers Casino

• SBOB Casino

• Scratch Games Casino

• Sunmaker Casino

• Trada Casino

• Winners Island Casino

• Wisniewski Casino