This is the latest Digital Matters, this time with Tony Ure, head of eGaming for Digital Isle of Man.

Two exciting innovations are being announced at gaming industry’s biggest conference in London.

The Isle of Man eGaming team and Gambling Supervision Commission (GSC) are back at the gaming industry’s biggest conference.

ICE 2019 is running this week from Tuesday) until today [Thursday].

The Isle of Man team will be promoting the island as the jurisdiction of choice for companies looking to solidify their global presence alongside gold standard regulation and a strong supportive industry.

ICE, held annually in London, is the gaming industry’s premier event.

Regulators, operators, suppliers, journalists and many more attend from around the world.

Shows such as ICE give us and our stand partners an opportunity to promote the island’s holistic offering and meet with gaming companies that are looking to start, grow or relocate.

This year, the eGaming team is joined by nine local stand partners (Affinity, Capital International, Cavendish Trust, Domicilium, KPMG, MannBenham, Manx Telecom, SMP and SolutionsHub) with solutions for banking, hosting, corporate structuring and services, white labels, sub-licences, full and network licences, cryptocurrency, law and tax advice.

(A white label product is a product or service produced by one company, the producer, that other companies, the marketers, rebrand to make it appear as if they had made it.)

It’s encouraging to see such strong engagement from the private sector as we work towards our shared goal of creating an environment in which businesses thrive and flourish.

At ICE we will be launching our two latest innovations: the Isle of Man Blockchain Office and the brand new Software Supplier Licence.

Isle of Man Blockchain Office

The Isle of Man has a history of being a front-runner in embracing and nurturing innovative technologies.

The new Blockchain Office will position the island on the world stage as a jurisdiction which encourages and supports sustainable businesses looking to incorporate blockchain technology into their business models.

Part sandbox and part consultancy, the Blockchain Office promises to deliver world-leading research, advice and knowledge-sharing across the blockchain community and create an open space for discussions around regulation.

(A regulatory sandbox enables the testing of solutions and offerings in collaboration with industry. The sandbox should help enable succinct polices, regulations, legislation and guidance to be formed that matches the market and offering.)

Companies involved in the scheme will have extensive contact with – and mentoring from – technologists, regulatory experts and successful entrepreneurs, as well as access to the Isle of Man’s extensive business infrastructure, which includes top-level accountancy and legal advisors and world-class connectivity.

The establishment of the Blockchain Office sends out the clear message that we, as an island, are going to be supporting the development of blockchain, and that we are going to do that through sensible and robust practices – by attracting high-quality business, enhancing consumer protection and becoming globally recognised as a high-quality jurisdiction in this space.

Over the past few years, one of the major challenges for both blockchain entrepreneurs and regulators has been the pace at which the technology has grown and developed.

With innovation continuously charging ahead of legislation, businesses have often struggled to anticipate the compliance demands that may be placed on them or have ended up on the wrong side of regulators after shifting their focus.

Combating this issue head-on, the blockchain office is there to build bridges between entrepreneurs and regulators, sharing information on how to be compliant and offering models for best practice, as well as encouraging innovative new solutions to regulatory requirements.

It will also draw on the island’s top-class corporate infrastructure to plug any gaps in areas such as tax, marketing and accounting.

The Blockchain Office is set to open its doors this month, with applications open from the beginning of March.

Spearheaded by Digital Isle of Man, the Blockchain Office is one piece of an overall plan to further the island’s reputation as a leader in innovation and to encourage the growth of digital businesses and employment.

The Digital Agency’s remit stretches from innovative technologies such as fintech through eGaming, esports, space and telecommunications.

Software Supplier

Licence

In a move that is set to make life simpler for gaming operators and suppliers on the Island, the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission (GSC) is introducing a licensing scheme for software suppliers that will go hand-in-hand with the creation of a centralised software database.

Over the past years we’ve had a large number of software developers come to us and ask for a software licence, and now for the first time, we will be able to say ‘yes’.

Under the new rules, B2B (business to business) firms have the option to apply for a licence which will allow them to list their games and software on a register of pre-approved products.

Rather than having to produce specific certification for a new slot or third-party product, the island’s gaming operators can refer to the register to see which products they are able to deploy immediately.

The move promises to streamline processes for both regulators and online gaming operators on the island, offering a way to deliver efficiency to the gaming community, while maintaining high regulatory standards.

The benefit for Isle of Man operators is that they get to see what products they can deploy straight away, secure in the knowledge that the GSC has already approved them.

Unlike other types of Isle of Man licences, obtaining the new software supplier licence and listing their products on the database will be an optional move for B2Bs, based on whether they feel that the step will be beneficial for them or their customers. While the centralised system has the potential to streamline processes and act as a stamp of quality, regulators recognise that not everyone will want to sign up immediately.

Like many moves taken by the GSC, the new legislation for the creation of the licence and the central register is designed with the future in mind.

While casino games suppliers are likely to be the first to take advantage of the new system, the licence is open to software suppliers of all stripes, from live dealer studios and software re-sellers through to those publishers specialising in cryptocurrency payments based software processers and to esports entrepreneurs.

Software suppliers who want to take advantage of the new register will be able to apply for a licence from the end of this month.

These two exciting innovations show that the Isle of Man’s thriving eGaming sector is continuing to offer new and existing businesses highly competitive benefits.

In the Isle of Man we have built a world-class eGaming ecosystem that offers operators, suppliers and entrepreneurs the full suite of services for their businesses with professional support services to guide every potential new licensee through the process and beyond.

It’s now up to us to get out and shout about it!