The island can be ’very proud’ of the impact the eGaming industry has had here.

That was the verdict of Chief minister Howard Quayle in his welcome address to the KPMG eGaming summit.

MrQuayle told up to 300 delegates at the new Comis Hotel at Mount Murray: ’What a privilege it is to be here again.

’This is a keynote speech that I like to give.’

Mr Quayle said he used to work with the eGaming sector, having once been a minister with responsibility for the industry.

He said: ’As I seem to be discussing Brexit, Brexit, Brexit with an occasional bit of Moneyval, beneficial ownership, EU code of conduct, it’s nice to get into something which is interesting, rewarding and a topic the Isle of Man can be very proud of .

’As chief minister I have the privilege of leading our government which supports the wide range of exciting and dynamic industries.

’None more so than our eGaming sector.’

He said it was his pleasure to welcome people from around the world to the day-long summit.

He said the summit set out to challenge, inspire and educate.’

He said he was also delighted to see the summit return its ’historic roots at the new Mount Murray.’

He told delegates: ’I would like to say a personal thank you to John Bentley and his team here [at the Comis Hotel] for investing in our island, working with our goverment and delivering fantastic, fabulous facilities here at the Comis Hotel and Golf Resort.’

Comis is translated fromLatin as courteous, obliging, cultured, elegant, affable, gracious and kind.

’John and his team are taking major strides forward through their commitment and investment in our island.’

Mr Quayle said GDP, gross domestic product, grew in real terms by 7.4 per cent for the period 2016-2017.

’We are extremely proud of this, and our eGaming sector which is now the largest sector in the Isle of Man, making up 28 per cent of our economy when combined with ICT [information and communications technology].’

The sector grew by 15 per cent year on year.

This year’s summit theme was Raising Standards Together and Mr Quayle said this was a real pointer to the professionalism present in the island, and ’our shared commitment to quality and service and the preservation of our solid international reputation.

’Events like this where industry innovators, government representatives and business leaders are all brought together help us to recognise the real challenges and real opportunities we both face as an island and a centre for excellence for eGaming.

’In terms of raising these standards the Isle of Man shows to be a jurisdiction insisting on 100 per cent player protection.

’No player has ever unlawfully lost money to an Isle of Man licensee [in eGaming].

He added the island chose to be one of the first jurisdictions to insist on applying the same rigorous KYC [Know Your Customer] and AML [Anti Money Laundering] standards that apply to financial standards.

’We are continuing to raise the standards in these areas attracting quality businesses from around the world.’

The summit heard the island now has 33 gaming licenses and three pending licences.

Mr Quayle said: ’Critically important is the whole ecosystem of ancillary businesses here that contribute to almost one third of the economy and there is no sign of this growth slowing.

He added: ’We are the jurisdiction of choice for eGaming and ancillary digital services.’

The KPMG eGaming summithad been held in 2010, 2011 and 2012 at the old Mount Murray Hotel.

A devastating fire erupted just hours before the 2013 conference was due to begin and a new venue was found at short notice at the Palace Hotel, Douglas.

Comis Holdings was formed in the Isle of Man in 2015 specifically to negotiate the purchase and redevelopment of the former Mount Murray Hotel and Country Club. Teams of contractors, the majority locally based, havebeen working for the last 18 months on the project. Phase two will see the leisure facilities open next year.

Howard Quayle addresses the eGaming summit

Delegates at the Comis hotel

Panel session on the island being a digital destination for gaming. Left to right, Magnus Grinneback, Mayfly Entertainment; Tony Ure, Department for Enterprise, eGaming; Kostas Farris, Quanta; Lisa Karran, Xela; Matthew Robins, MuchBetter and Lyle Wraxall, Department for Enterprise, digital chief executive