The Isle of Man is one of the United Kingdom’s best gambling licensing jurisdictions. The Isle of Man is one of those little oddities that make up the British Empire. It is located in the Irish Sea almost half way between England/Scotland and Ireland. Technically it is not a part of the United Kingdom. It is a self-governing British Crown Dependency. For them that means that foreign relations and defense are the responsibility of the British government. The Isle of Man is also not a member of the European Union, but it does enjoy a relationship that allows it to take advantage of the E.U. guidelines on the free movement of goods.
As mentioned before the Isle of Man is one of the most coveted casino licensing jurisdictions in the world, especially when it comes to online casinos and gambling. Their relationship with the British government makes them a prime market to delivering online gambling to the British public. The Isle of Man also enjoys certain tax benefits that online casino and gambling companies find very attractive. When it comes to online gambling the Isle of Man ranks right up with Malta, Cyprus, and the Latin American jurisdictions.
The Council of Ministers on the Isle of Man recently made an announcement that they will be interested in adding another casino license. They, like most European countries and countries in North and South America are looking for ways to pull themselves out of the current recession. “It is our intention to look at every opportunity to grow our economy,” said Economic Development Minister, Allan Bell MHK. “The subject of the issuance of a second casino license is part of that work.” Mr. Bell’s department has been putting forth economic criteria for the added license. “Any proposal must set out how the granting of a second casino license will provide additional business and not simply draw revenues away from the existing license holder.” It should be interesting to see who applies, and wins, the new casino license.
