Authorities in The Isle of Man are touting increased popularity among global gaming operators with demand for licenses up 30% year-on-year due to what it says are “proposed changes to regulation and structure in some jurisdictions.”
The figures come after Isle of Man-based services provider Affinity Group stated last October that it had seen an increase in inquiries from Asian-facing iGaming companies considering moving their operations from the Philippines due to tax hikes on licensed POGOs.
In comments provided to media on Wednesday, the CEO of The Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission, Steve Brennan, said, “We are exceptionally busy at the minute processing a significant rise in the number of applications for online gambling operators.
“We continued to work throughout lockdown, and over the last 10 months we have received or completed a considerable number of applications. By the time we have closed those out and added recent applications, we will have 60 licenses to supervise.”
Brennan said there were now 55 licenses under the Commission’s supervision with “several more in the pipeline” – an increase of 21 in the last 12 months.