KPMG’s seventh annual Isle of Man Online Gambling Summit conference included a demonstration of the burgeoning augmented reality (AR) technology for the 280 management delegates, with Derivco specialists Errol Larson, Mike Guelpa and Geoff Walton delivering a fascinating perspective on the possibilities for the industry.
The Derivco team had virtual reality headpieces for the audience to try out and immerse themselves in a poker game, illustrating how virtual reality games will impact the online gaming arena and indeed other industry sectors.
The island’s outgoing chief minister, Allan Bell addressed the conference, observing that online gambling is now the largest growth sector in the local economy and has delivered a 12.5 percent rise in employment growth in the past year.
Laurence Skelly, Minister for the Department of Economic Development on the island revealed that the IOM e-gaming sector now delivers 25 percent of the island’s GDP, and said that the government would continue to encourage and support the industry.
Other topics covered in the presentations to delegates and workshops included regulation, innovation, M&A activity, the UK implemention of a National Online Self-Exclusion System and the rise in cyber currencies (in particular Bitcoin).
Of particular note was the panel session “The Isle of Man Proposition for eGaming Post-Brexit” which featured local experts and concluded that although Brexit will be significant globally, its effect on the Isle of Man will be less impactful and in many ways, could be positive for eGaming.