The Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission (GSC) issued just one new licence in the first half of 2026, as the jurisdiction seeks to reposition itself in the changing online gambling market
In May 2025 the Manx government took the decision to publish a National Statement on eGaming and Financial Crime in which it stated: “the Isle of Man currently has limited appetite for business in the eGaming sector where there is ownership and/or control from East or Southeast Asia”.
The statement went on to say that not only will the regulator refuse new business with those criteria but it will also review the terms of existing licences.
Since the statement was made, only four new licences have been issued in the Isle of Man. In the last 12 months the number of active licensees has fallen from 72 to 54.
At the Digital Isle conference in November 2025, Lyle Wraxall, chief executive of Digital Isle of Man, admitted both the statement and the way it was communicated were a “huge misstep”.
It was also revealed that the new eGaming strategy had been filleted to such an extent that there was little of substance left in it.
Perhaps as a way of trying to undo some of the damage, the Manx government talked up its commitment to the sector ahead of the ICE Expo in January 2026, with the Chief Minister saying:
“For more than two decades, iGaming has been an important and successful sector for the Isle of Man’s economy and community, offering a robust, transparent and responsive regulatory environment. iGaming remains just as important today as it will be in the future.”
But, if new licences are a measure of success, it seems the National Statement and lack of a strategy have hurt interest in the jurisdiction.
The GSC might also be being more selective about which applicants it grants licences to, although there is no recent data available to confirm this approach.
Some local corporate service providers have promoted the ‘hub and spoke’ model as a way forward for the sector, which may have been one of the original ideas in the strategy before it was diluted.
The Isle of Man would be the Tier 1 hub jurisdiction, with spokes to other local gambling licences.
One weakness of this model is that a company would not necessarily need a gambling licence in the Isle of Man, if no bets are struck in the jurisdiction.
As such, the companies would not appear in the licensee list, pay no fees or gambling tax and would not be regulated by the GSC.
In 2025, PokerStars’ parent company Rational Entertainment Enterprises and Annexio both surrendered their licences but continue operating offices in the Isle of Man.
Annexio Limited, operator of the lottery betting brand LottoGo, said the reason was because of “changing market realities”.
Annexio highlighted factors such as the rising costs of compliance and customer acquisition across multiple jurisdictions for its decision. The company operates under licences issued in the United Kingdom, Jersey, and Northern Territory, Australia.
At the start of 2026 the Manx government stated that “attendance at ICE 2026 will mark the start of a coordinated programme of engagement” with the eGaming sector. The second half of the year will have to start delivering on that promise.