’It’s incredible to think that when we set up Microgaming on the island back in 2001 there were just six staff,’ says Roger Raatgever, CEO of Microgaming.

The company, which has recently unveiled its new building on Circular Road, is sponsoring the award for Charity, Cultural and Social Enterprise at this year’s Isle of Man Newspapers’ Awards for Excellence.

Microgaming has recently unveiled new offices next door to its original building in Circular Road. The second office allows for the rapid expansion of Microgaming and Derivco Isle of Man with overall staff numbers currently at 231 and counting.

’Now we have a campus in the heart of Douglas, with two large offices, and best of all they are connected by a sky bridge, which was a must for me!

’It’s an exciting new chapter for Microgaming and I’m immensely proud of what we achieved here in our home,’ says Roger.

Touring Sixty Two, the new five-storey office, is certainly a jaw-dropping experience.

It is fair to say that not a single detail has been overlooked in its design and execution.

It has certainly fulfilled two of its key aims: to give staff the optimum working environment and to use local materials, professional expertise and labour in its construction wherever possible. There was also a commitment to involve staff fully in the project and to give the building strong environmental credentials.

All of this is neatly exemplified in the coffee shop on the fourth floor which staff chose to name ’The Watering Hole’.

Local TT rider Conor Cummins, proprietor of Coffee Mann, produced a special Microgaming blend of beans and also trained the baristas who work there and who are Microgaming employees.

The cups the coffee is served in, smartly branded with The Watering Hole logo, are reusable.

Alongside the serving area sits a table which could easily have come from a very expensive design catalogue but was in fact made from reclaimed scaffolding timbers used during the building’s construction.

The office environment fosters a culture of collaboration and communication.

There are 16 meeting rooms, hot desks, and phone booths, as well as plenty of break-out areas on every floor.

The entire fourth floor of the building is a communal area and, in addition to the coffee shop, features a canteen, darts board, pool tables, poker table, table tennis table and a library for staff to take time out, away from their desks.

A high emphasis has been placed on staff wellbeing with the provision of an in-house gym, a treatment room and a spacious studio to host weekly fitness classes, in addition to a rooftop garden and gazebo. The extensive use of glass in the building offers stunning views at every turn.

Ensuring the building is as environmentally friendly as possible, Microgaming has worked closely with BREEAM, the world’s foremost environmental assessment method and rating system for buildings. The 45,000 square feet office is one of the first on the Isle of Man to achieve the BREEAM rating of Excellent, reflecting the company’s strong commitment to sustainability.

Key features have been built in to ensure efficient energy and waste management, including smart lighting that automatically dims to reduce consumption, air quality and temperature monitoring, as well as centralised recycling facilities on each floor.

John Coleman, CFO of Microgaming, said: ’Following a number of years of hard work and commitment, it’s incredibly satisfying to see Sixty Two open. A lot of time was spent understanding the needs and wants of our employees so that a building could be designed specifically with them in mind. All involved, including staff and suppliers, should be incredibly proud of what they have achieved - I can’t thank them enough.’

*Microgaming is a long-time Awards for Excellence sponsor and a two-time winner. They have their own well-established community programme, Microgaming PlayItForward which focuses on health, charity, sport and education and has so far contributed over £850,000 to local initiatives in these areas.

*There are 16 award categories at this year’s Awards for Excellence. For full details and to download entry forms go to www.excellence-awards.im.