Isle of Man Sets Out New Criteria for Assessing Gambling Licence Applicants

The future framework will apply to businesses licensed under the Online Gambling Regulation Act 2001 and the Casino Act 1986. It will also affect directors, controllers, senior managers, and other individuals responsible for key decisions within approved companies.

GSC’s Amendments and Recommendations

The draft guidance is expected to take effect in summer 2026 as part of the Gambling Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2025. Once introduced, it will replace the current system, in which different Acts use separate standards to determine suitability.

The GSC also plans to withdraw its existing Integrity Guidance and move towards a single set of principles covering all regulated entities.

The draft explains how the supervisory authority will assess whether an operator or individual is suitable to hold a licence in the Isle of Man. According to the Commission, the aim is to make the process easier to understand and give businesses a clearer view of what is expected during application reviews and ongoing oversight.

Main areas covered in the draft include:

• checks during the licensing process;
• ongoing supervision of operators;
• duties of directors and senior executives;
• disclosure of criminal convictions and investigations;
• rights of the regulator to collect relevant information.

Key Selection Criteria

The updated model goes beyond the previous Integrity Guidance by introducing 2 additional factors for assessing suitability — competence and financial standing.

This means that businesses and individuals will be assessed not only on their reputation but also on their ability to fulfil their responsibilities and maintain a stable income.

Competence will be inspected through several factors, including:

• professional knowledge;
• practical skills;
• relevant qualifications;
• previous experience in similar positions.

Financial standing will be considered for both companies and individuals. The regulator wants to ensure that businesses have the resources and stability needed to meet their obligations and continue operating responsibly.

The draft notes that the GSC may take into account:

• unpaid court debts;
• bankruptcies in any jurisdiction;
• formal agreements with creditors;
• defaults on mortgages, loans, or credit cards;
• relation to businesses that entered insolvency or administration.

The new framework also introduces a wider review of people connected to an applicant. This means the GSC can investigate whether close associates of an operator, director, or manager could pose a risk to the integrity of the licensed business. The Commission stated that such links will only be considered if there is a credible concern regarding the influence of those relationships.

Discussion and Feedback Period

The GSC has opened a 10-week consultation window and is encouraging operators, advisers, and other industry representatives to submit their comments. The process started on March 16th and will continue until May 25th, 2026. Feedback can be sent through the official response form or by email.

During the consultation, the regulator also plans to organise an online Q&A session to explain the draft in more detail and answer stakeholders' questions. After the discussion closes, the GSC will publish a summary of the responses received and explain whether any amendments have been made before the final guidance is adopted.