Welcome to the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission
Gambling Supervision Commission Application for Appointment
Bilateral cooperation agreement with the Danish Gambling Authority - 23rd November 2011
The Gambling Supervision Commission has agreed terms for a bilateral cooperation agreement with the Danish Gambling Authority. See 'News' section.
Online Gambling Guidance Notes for the Prevention of Money Laundering and Countering Terrorism Financing - September 2011
The Gambling Supervision Commission (GSC) has recently made amendments to its guidance notes for the prevention of money laundering and countering of terrorist financing.
These amendments have been made as a result of the coming into force of the Prevention of Terrorist Financing (Online Gambling) Code on September 2011.
These amendments include the addition of a copy of the Prevention of Terrorist Financing (Online Gambling) Code 2011 as a new Appendix B. Other amendments have been made throughout the guidance to take account of this new piece of legislation.
The GSC does not anticipate that these amendments and the new Prevention of Terrorist Financing (Online Gambling) Code 2011 should require licence holders to make substantial changes to their procedures.
The amended Guidance Notes can be found here.
The amended Guidance Notes with all changes tracked for ease of reference can be found here.
GSC Statement - 14th July 2011
The UK Department of Media, Culture and Sport have issued a statement today outlining their plans to move all online gambling in the UK in the future to a licensing regime. The announcement is in line with long-held expectations that the UK would eventually seek to align their regulatory model with those that are currently emerging in Europe and will ultimately require any operator to hold a UK Gambling Commission licence in order to take players from the UK.
The Isle of Man Government’s response can be found on the Isle of Man Government website and emphasises the confidence that the UK DCMS continues to have in the Isle of Man and the outlines the continuity the UK intend to offer Isle of Man operators during the period of transition, when those changes are eventually introduced.
Much of the detail of the new arrangements has yet to be determined and the timescale for those discussions has yet to be announced. The UK and the Isle of Man enjoy an ongoing dialogue on gambling regulatory matters and the work to formalise the details of the new regime will simply be an extension of that relationship going forward.
GSC Statement - 29th June 2011
The Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission wishes to make it clear that the licensing status of PokerStars in the Isle of Man remains unchanged following today's statement from the Gambling Control Commission in Alderney. Alderney is a separate jurisdiction from the Isle of Man and the operation in question is separate from PokerStars.
PokerStars continues to demonstrate compliance with its licence conditions in the Isle of Man. PokerStars continues to offer withdrawals to any players who wish to withdraw their funds, including players in the USA to whom PokerStars does not currently offer real-money gaming.
GSC Statement - 9th May 2011
The Gambling Supervision Commission feels it would be useful to clarify the regulations relating to the protection of player money.
All Isle of Man licensees must separate their players? deposits and winnings from the funds that the operator uses for conducting its business
This is a mandatory licensing requirement for Isle of Man on-line gambling operators.
The Commission can confirm that all of its current licence holders are complying with these requirements and any players who wish to withdraw money from their gambling accounts should be able to do so at any time subject to the checks required to comply with anti-money laundering, anti-terrorist financing and know-your-customer laws.
Further to the statement we made 21st April 2011 concerning PokerStars, the Commission can confirm that:
- PokerStars continues to demonstrate compliance with the above licence condition;
- PokerStars is currently offering withdrawals to any players who wish to withdraw their funds, including players in the USA to whom PokerStars does not currently offer real-money gaming.
GSC statement regarding PokerStars (updated 21st April 2011)
Following developments on Friday 15th April, the Commission is aware of documentation issued by authorities in the USA which makes allegations against PokerStars and some of its personnel. While we are discussing the matter on an ongoing basis with PokerStars and watching developments, we can confirm that PokerStars licensing status in the Isle of Man remains unchanged.
We are aware that PokerStars have suspended the availability of cash-play games in the USA and we are currently endeavouring to ensure that any player who wishes to withdraw money from their account can do so.
PokerStars have provided an update for their US players, which for convenience can be found here:
http://www.pokerstars.com/USA players/faq/
Latest GSC Annual Reports
The Isle of Man as a jurisdiction
The Isle of Man Government actively encourages the development of gambling and e-gaming business on the island. It remains committed to delivering a stable government and strong regulatory environment, supported by a wide range of attractive business benefits.
If you are looking to locate your business in the Isle of Man, this site contains information and application forms to assist you in making your decision and getting the application process started.
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.
The Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission was founded in 1962 and is fully independent and committed to player protection.
The Isle of Man Government and the private sector have worked hard to ensure that the island has a world class infrastructure and full range of support services in place for the gambling industry.
For more information on the range of commercial and business benefits which the Isle of Man can offer to your company, see the information provided by the Department of Economic Development.
If you have any specific comments or queries then please feel free to Contact Us at any time.
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