The spotlight will be on the island’s online gaming industry in the coming weeks.

Two events are being held within days of each other.

On the one hand organisers are setting their sights on the 10th KPMG e-gaming summit on Thursday, October 3, at the Comis Hotel, Mount Murray.

Meanwhile, island advocates Mann Benham is organising its first online gaming conference at the Sefton Hotel, Douglas, on Tuesday, September 24.

Organisers say there will be an air of celebration at the KPMG summit as a decade of events is marked along with a look back to previous events over the last 10 years.

KPMG has even reprinted the report from the first summit.

Chief Minister Howard Quayle told last year’s summit that e-gaming now (along with information and communication technology) makes up 28% of the Isle of Man’s economy, with a growth rate of 15% year on year.

It was an industry, he said, of which the Isle of Man should be proud, adding that the island was ’a jurisdiction of choice for eGaming and ancillary digital services.’

More than 250 delegates are expected to be at the summit to hear the latest news and views from industry leaders and to gain a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing e-gaming over the coming years.

A KPMG spokesman said: ’Our 2019 summit sees us celebrating the 10th birthday of the series that started in the Isle of Man on November 23, 2010.

’We started out with the aim of working with the industry to air and address challenges, celebrate successes and encourage collaboration.

’With regulators and industry leaders clear on the need for better collaboration and communication in order to improve consumer experience and perception of the sector, our theme of "raising standards together" continues to be central as we finalise our programme for October 3.

’With the UKGC’s (UK Gambling Commission’s) publication in April of their national strategy to reduce gambling harms, and increased engagement from the US and other rapidly evolving markets - with governments, regulators and operators looking at both the potential benefits and harms of their emerging sectors - then the need to put the consumer enjoyment and safety at the heart of the industry is clearer than ever.

’We are bringing together a distinguished and diverse mix of speakers and panellists to explore how best to address that need.

’We will also be looking back to our first summit, and bringing together some of the key figures in Isle of Man gaming to tell the story of the last 10 years, as well as asking all of those in attendance to look ahead to the next 10 and predict what they might bring.’

Some of the figures being lined up include Warwick Bartlett, of the Castletown-based GBGC (Gambling, Betting and Gaming Consultants). A former bookie himself, Mr Bartlett has, organisers say, established himself as a global expert on the gaming industry. Also being lined up to talk about the decade of summits will be Bill Mummery of island-based gaming company Celton Manx, Roger Raatgever, formerly of Microgaming and now Apricot Investments, Garth Kimber of Xela Holdings, David Black of Continent 8 Technologies, and Lyle Wraxall, digital agency chief executive of the digital agency at the Department for Enterprise.

Vaughan Lewis, group director of investor relations at the Stars Group, will report on events and the outlook in the United States.

There will be panels responsible gambling and regulation and enforcement, followed by the traditional closing panel where KPMG’s boss in the island, Russell Kelly, speaks with figures from the sector.

A spokesman for the organisers said: ’The summit has firmly established itself as a highlight in the eGaming calendar over the last 10 years and is now a truly ’’not to be missed’ event for any professional involved in the industry.’

Meanwhile, MannBenham says it has brought together speakers and panellists from around the world and across a variety of disciplines and a wide range of industries which include gaming, banking, compliance and information security.

A spokesman said delegates will get the opportunity to hear from industry leaders.

He said that MannBenham’s online gaming conference is free to attend and has been designed to be ’accessible, fast paced and interesting’.

Highlights will include contributions from more than 20 industry experts and speakers, from the United Kingdom, United States and here in the island.

There will also be opportunities to connect with the speakers, panellists and other delegates as well as network with similar minded businesses and meet with the new team at MannBenham Advisory.

Miles Benham, managing director of MannBenham Advocates, will bring the conference to a close.

Carly Stratton, head of business and gaming at MannBenham said: ’This is going to be a great event. The conference is not just for the benefit of the gaming industry but the Isle of Man business community as a whole to understand how businesses can effectively operate in local and global markets. The event is going to be an exciting, positive and hopefully thought-provoking event.