IoM Licensing for FTP

This week, the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission (GSC) granted Full Tilt Poker, now part of the Pokerstars-Rational group, an operating license, so its online poker services will go live from the Isle of Man on Nov. 6.

According to a statement from the Rational Group, FTP was granted the Isle of Man license following “thorough scrutiny of the proposed operations by the Gambling Supervision Commission.” Apparently, this included a review of the senior management structure controlling Full Tilt Poker’s operations.

It was stated by Steve Brennan, CEO of the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission:

“The Gambling Supervision Commission is confident that Full Tilt Poker will safeguard the interests of its players and adhere to the strict policies and procedures governing Isle of Man licensed gaming companies.

“Full Tilt Poker&s application was strengthened by the fact that their new owners and management team are known to us and have an impeccable record of compliance with the Isle of Man&s regulatory requirements.”

And while the FTP offices will stay in Dublin, where the company will be operated as a brand separate from PokerStars, the technical hardware including servers was transported from Dublin, Ireland to the Isle of Man last month, supposedly to comply with the Isle of Man licensing requirements.

Praising the regulator, PokerStars legal executive Paul Telford stated: “In our view the Isle of Man&s e-gaming regulations set the gold standard for the online gaming industry.

“Their attitude toward ensuring operators provide a service that is safe, fair and socially responsible is second to none. In particular, the Isle of Man leads the way in ensuring player funds are protected under mandatory trust arrangements that are built into their regulations.”