The Isle of Man will host the second annual KPMG-sponsored eGaming Summit on Nov. 22 at the Mount Murray Hotel, Santon. The invitation-only affair is an opportunity for stakeholders to discus the past, present and future of the Manx e-gaming ecosystem. As online gaming is a major contributor to the local economy, KPMG Isle of Man director responsible for e-gaming services Russell Kelly believes it is “crucially important that the Island continues to make itself an attractive jurisdiction for the licensing and operation of online gaming companies. This involves input from the government, key industry players and service providers.”
This year’s theme remains the same as last year’s, namely, ensuring that the British Crown Dependency remains ‘A Good Place To Play’. The events of the past year have dramatically underscored that theme, as, of the three poker companies indicted on Black Friday – PokerStars, Full Tilt and AP/UB – only Isle of Man-licensed PokerStars has so far refunded players’ deposits, a fact KMPG’s Archie Watt is only too keen to promote. “This reflects well on the management of PokerStars but also demonstrates that player protection is at the forefront of everything the regulator does here on the Island.”
And hey, once the summit’s over, why not pop round the local government office and submit a bid to develop a new hotel/casino? The IoM Department of Economic Development is seeking expressions of interest from organizations interested in working with the government to establish a five-star hotel and casino complex on the island. Sweetening the pot, there’s only one other casino currently licensed on the island, and the IoM imposes no gaming duty on terrestrial casinos and no limit on the number of slot machines. Interested parties are encouraged to contact Business Development Agency Director Tim Craine at [email protected]
