Tony Ure, head of e-Gaming for the Isle of Man Government, discusses the impact of Brexit, the future impact of blockchain tech and the island’s unique, harmonious environment
INTERGAMINGi: How important was it to the Isle of Man to introduce its specific e-Gaming legislation as early as 2001 and how are the effects of that foresight still felt now?
Tony Ure: The Isle of Man had the foresight to engage with the e-Gaming industry very early on, with key legislation put in place to ensure the sector developed in a responsible and measured way. There was considerable discussion at the time about the opportunity and risk of the growing industry, but the Island had the prudence to regulate and protect the customer, with our ethos still to keep the industry crime-free, protect the young and those at risk and to ensure that the services are fair and players receive their true winnings.
From this insight and preparation we have built a large ecosystem of e-Gaming businesses, with huge international companies based in the Isle of Man and a network of small start-ups looking at innovative new ways to take the industry forward. The Island’s e-Gaming and ICT sector now makes up around 26 per cent of GDP and employs over 2,500 people – growth which looks set to continue over the next few years. The Island’s ability to look ahead is still evident now as we look to new verticals within e-Gaming and explore how the Isle of Man will respond to these to stay ahead of the curve.
