The Isle of Man received inquiries from companies looking to obtain their first gaming licence as well as being approached by a number of companies already established in their jurisdictions at ICE in London last week.
The Isle of Man contingent, which consisted of members of the government and a very significant number of those from the private sector, were inundated with inquiries and received over 200 visitors to the stand over the three days, over 75 per cent of whom showed genuine interest in the Isle of Man as an i-gaming jurisdiction.
The key themes that emerged during the show included the Isle of Man's well-established reputation, the simple licensing structure, player protection safeguards, the new Network Licence, the ease of the application process and the island's robust technical infrastructure.
Alex Downie OBE, MLC, the department of economic development's political member with responsibility for i-gaming, attended ICE on the opening day and said that the event generates a lot of interest and potential new business for the island. "The Isle of Man put on a great show and I was particularly pleased to see the government and industry working side by side as usual. The popularity of the exhibition clearly demonstrates the growing importance of the e-business sector globally and that the island is at the forefront of the industry."
Ray Davies, e-gaming development manager, added: "A lot of the companies that approached the island were looking to obtain their first gaming licence, but we also had our fair share of inquiries from companies already established in other jurisdictions and interested in what the island has to offer. We are confident that we can convert the interest that we have received into real business for the island."
