In a public statement, the Isle of Man’s Gambling Supervision Commission deemed Seow Gim Shen to be lacking integrity and was not a fit and proper person to have a key role in an online gaming company.
The move comes after Mr Seow, of George Town, Penang in Malaysia, was convicted in Singapore and jailed for 14 weeks for conspiring to unlawfully obtain the personal data of around 9,000 individuals.
In December the GSC announced it had cancelled the licence of Douglas-based Metagrow Solutions Limited which was wholly owned by Mr Seow.
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Metagrow Solutions had been licensed as a gambling software supply company by the GSC since March 2023. It had been incorporated in August the previous year with its registered office at Millennium House on Victoria Road.
Last October In October Mr Seow, 42, and co-defendant Kong Chien Hoi, 39, were jailed for 14 weeks by a district court in Singapore for conspiring to obtain personal data from Chinese national Sun Jiao, who is alleged to be linked to a global cybercrime syndicate.
The pair had obtained a file containing the personal details of 9,369 individuals, which was acquired through other gambling websites.
Sun Jiao was one of seven men arrested by police in Singapore in September for their alleged role in a global syndicate which conducted malicious cyber activities.
Announcing its decision to cancel Metagrow’s licence, the GSC said it was no longer satisfied that Metagrow was ‘under the control of a person of integrity’.
In its latest public statement, the regulator said that following an investigation it had deemed it ‘necessary and proportionate’ for Mr Seow to be prohibited from undertaking any role in the Isle of Man gambling sector.
It said the nature of the conspiracy offence for which he was convicted of in Singapore, his actions and his acknowledgement that he acted recklessly all caused the Commission to question his integrity.
The prohibition will remain in place indefinitely until Mr Seow successfully applies to the Commission to have it varied or revoked.
The GSC said his acknowledgment of the facts and engagement with the Commission allowed the regulator to conclude the matter sooner than might otherwise have been the case.
In concluded: ‘Any controller of an entity regulated by the Commission is required to be a person of integrity at all times.
‘The Commission typically considers a person who lacks integrity not to be a controller will also not be a fit and proper person to perform any roles or engage in any functions within the regulated gambling sector.
‘In seeking to fulfil its regulatory objectives, and in seeking to protect the Isle of Man’s reputation, the Commission will not hesitate to act robustly.’
Island-based ILS Fiduciaries wrote to Seow Gim Shen on November 1 announcing its intention to resign as the registered agent for Metagrow.