Compliance Updates
Isle of Man Sees Unprecedented Demand in Licence Applications From Global Online Gambling Businesses
The Isle of Man has seen a huge increase in demand from global gaming operators amid proposed changes to regulation and structure in some jurisdictions.
Initial enquiries, sparked by uncertainty about the impact and scope of jurisdictional and political changes, and positive follow-up discussions have seen service providers on the Isle of Man report an uptick in enquiries from businesses wanting to relocate to the Island over the last 12 months.
There has been a thirty per cent increase in demand this year with the number of licensees to be supervised by the Gambling Supervision Commission now at 55 with several more in the pipeline, an increase of 21 in last 12 months, in comparison to 8 licence approvals in 2019.
The recent regulatory changes in alternate jurisdictions, combined with the Island’s handling of Covid-19 and the introduction of a new software supplier licence has contributed to a significant surge in the number of applications as businesses seek strong regulation around player protection providing comfort to banks, PSP’s and investors.
Steve Brennan, Chief Executive of The Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission, comments:
“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 licences to supervise.”
Speaking on why operators are choosing the Isle of Man, Jade Zorab, Director of Amber Gaming, responded:
“The Isle of Man has proven to be at the forefront of the more notable eGaming jurisdictions over the years. It has a combination of a stable political and economic environment, low tax and advanced IT infrastructure in addition to a cluster of experienced and reliable professional organisations – all of which has created a compelling proposition for eGaming companies both locally and further afield.
“The Island also offers a flexible licensing regime with a pragmatic and efficient regulator, which is especially valuable during a time where there is so much global uncertainty and regulatory changes in several other jurisdictions which brings the prospect of significant operational challenges. Given the Island’s strong reputation and open and innovative approach in the evolving gaming landscape, the future outlook is positive and it is no surprise that the Isle of Man is experiencing an influx of eGaming ventures, which we are proud to support.”
Lyle Wraxall, Chief Executive at Digital Isle of Man, adds:
“A key strength of the Isle of Man is its commitment to the development and continued success of the eGaming companies domiciled here. Digital Isle of Man supports this by striving to build and maintain solid foundations for our Island businesses to flourish, offering quick fire advice and tackling obstacles to ease business decisions and burdens along the way.
We have strong heritage and credentials in the eGaming sector and are renowned for our premium regulation which is becoming more and more important to businesses. As businesses licensed elsewhere seek security and continued business growth, the experience and expertise based in the Isle of Man is the logical next step for businesses to mature and grow.
The Isle of Man has a track record of being a safe and secure place for businesses to grow, and boasts a confident, stable economy, with no market restrictions, ensuring minimal disruption to business progress and opportunities.”
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The Swedish government has proposed a new expanded ban on gambling on credit.
By preventing gambling from being financed with credit, the government wants to reduce the risk of over-indebtedness and protect consumers from ending up in financial difficulties.
The government’s proposal means that licensees and gaming agents will not be allowed to allow or participate in the financing of gambling with credit. This means that the current credit ban will be expanded to include, among other things, that licensees and gaming agents will not be allowed to:
• Enable players to enter into credit agreements with other parties when purchasing games, for example by linking to credit providers in connection with online gaming.
• Accept gambling bets if they know that the player is financing the bet, or their gambling in general, with a credit.
• Accept credit card payments if it is immediately apparent at the time of purchase that the payment is a credit card payment. This should apply both online and in-store.
The new rules are proposed to come into force on April 1, 2026.
The post Swedish Government Proposes a New Ban on Gambling on Credit appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Campaign for Fairer Gambling
Crime Still Dominates U.S. Online Gambling – Legalization Increases Total Losses by 261%, Warns CFG
The Campaign for Fairer Gambling (CFG) releases a supplement to its USA National Online Gambling Report 2024 which exposed that illegal online gambling takes 74% of total gross gambling revenue (GGR) in America. Commissioned by CFG and produced by online market intelligence platform, Yield Sec, the supplement analyzes all 50 states according to their regulatory status and shows that state legalization of online gambling – without the reduction and removal of illegal online gambling – increases total losses for American consumers by up to 261%.
The supplement groups US states into one of three regulatory realities:
• States with no legal online gambling (e.g. California, Texas)
• States with one form of legal online gambling – sports betting (e.g. New York, Florida)
• States with all forms of legal online gambling – sports betting and casino (e.g. Michigan, New Jersey).
The CFG State Supplement #1 demonstrates the effect of GGR per capita (the total marketplace value for legal and illegal online gambling divided by population) as a percentage of average income 2024 to further illustrate the burden across American consumers:
Total online GGR (Legal + Illegal) per capita as a percentage of income:
– USA National: GGR per capita is 0.62% of average income
– States with no legal online sports betting or casino (e.g. California, Texas): GGR per capita is 0.31% of average income
– States with legal online sports betting only (e.g. New York, Florida): GGR per capita is 0.77% of average income
– States with both legal online sports betting and casino (e.g. Michigan, New Jersey): GGR per capita is 1.12% of average income.
The supplement data makes clear that legalization of online gambling, without enforcement against illegal online gambling, increases the total loss and harm. When states legalize online sports betting only, GGR per capita as a percentage of income increases by 148% (from 0.31% to 0.77%). When both online sports betting and casino are legalized, it jumps by 261% (from 0.31% to 1.12%). If legalization truly replaced illegal gambling, the dominance of illegal gambling would diminish – but, the reality is that this is not a zero-sum game.
“Ohio is the alarm bell America needs to hear. Just one year after legalizing online sports betting in 2023, losses for Ohioans had already reached 1.33% of average income per capita to online gambling – the heaviest burden in the country, and more than twice the national average. Across the US, we’re not seeing illegal gambling being replaced, we’re simply seeing total consumer losses grow. In states with full legalization, losses are now 261% higher than where there’s no legal online gambling at all. This isn’t progress, it’s escalation,” states Derek Webb, Founder of CFG.
Ismail Vali, founder and CEO of Yield Sec, added: “Yield Sec surveillance shows that the legal industry is being undermined at every turn by criminal competitors who offer greater value, bigger bonuses, and lower barriers, since they pay no tax, no licensing and exploit all forms of regulation in the absence of sincere monitoring, policing and enforcement against them.
“It is a vicious cycle: failing to deal with crime causes loss from theft. Across the country, legalization without enforcement against illegal operators, only gives criminals another edge. The outcome is predictable: legal revenue collapses, tax income shrinks, and criminals walk away with hundreds of millions. If states want to make the money they should, enforcement against crime must come first and always – to reduce and remove illegal gambling’s appeal and availability.”
The post Crime Still Dominates U.S. Online Gambling – Legalization Increases Total Losses by 261%, Warns CFG appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
In response to the recent and prior sports wagering tax increases passed by the Illinois state legislature on all mobile and online sports wagers placed with licensed operators, DraftKings Inc. announced that it will implement a 50-cent transaction fee on all mobile and online bets placed in Illinois through DraftKings Sportsbook, effective September 1, 2025.
“Illinois has been an important part of our growth, and we’re proud to have contributed meaningfully to the state through tax revenue, job creation, and a sustained investment in responsible gaming tools and resources. We are disappointed that Illinois policymakers have chosen to more than triple our tax rate over the past two years, and we are very concerned about what this will do to the legal, regulated industry. Meanwhile, Illinois continues to fuel the rapidly growing illegal industry, which pays no taxes or fees and provides none of the consumer protections that regulated operators offer,” said Jason Robins, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of DraftKings.
The post DraftKings to Introduce Transaction Fee in Illinois appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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