Our Regulatory Objectives
The Gambling Supervision Act 2010 established the Gambling Supervision Commission (GSC) as an independent Statutory Board of the Isle of Man Government. The Act sets out the Commission’s legal status, constitution, and regulatory objectives.
The GSC is responsible for licensing and regulating:
- All land-based gambling operations, including casinos, amusement and slot machines, betting offices, and lotteries.
- All online gambling activities.
- Since December 2020, the GSC has also been empowered to license and regulate the Isle of Man’s medicinal cannabis sector.
Regulatory Objectives – Gambling
In relation to gambling, the Commission’s regulatory objectives are to:
- Ensure that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way.
- Protect children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling.
- Prevent gambling from being:
- A source of crime or disorder,
- Associated with crime or disorder,
- Used to support criminal activity.
Regulatory Objective – Medicinal Cannabis
In relation to the Commission’s functions concerning medicinal cannabis, the regulatory objective is to:
- Prevent the misuse of cannabinol, cannabinol derivatives, cannabis, or cannabis resin.
How We Apply Our Regulatory Objectives
To fulfil our regulatory objectives, the GSC operates according to three core organisational values:
Trust
We aim to earn and maintain trust in our oversight of the sectors we regulate. This means understanding their technical complexities and managing associated risks responsibly.
Balance
We take a proportionate approach: compliant operators are given the freedom to operate, while those who fall short receive closer scrutiny until they meet required standards.
Efficiency
We strive to use public resources wisely. We retain skilled staff to reduce recruitment costs, make cost-effective decisions on equipment and travel, and maintain a lean team that remains effective in licensing and supervision.
