Whistleblowing and Regulatory Concerns
People often use the term “whistleblowing” to describe any situation where serious concerns are reported. In law, however, whistleblowing has a specific meaning and applies only to certain disclosures made by workers about serious wrongdoing in the public interest.
The guidance above explains the difference between legally protected whistleblowing under the Employment Act 2006 and other reports of concern that may not qualify for legal protection but are still important to the Gambling Supervision Commission (GSC) as the gambling regulator.
It sets out:
- what counts as protected whistleblowing,
- who can receive legal protection,
- the types of concerns the GSC wants to hear about, and
- how the GSC handles whistleblowing reports and other information it receives.
- how to contact the GSC
The GSC is a Prescribed Person under whistleblowing legislation. This means that, in certain circumstances, workers at regulated entities can raise serious concerns with us directly and still receive legal protection, provided the disclosure meets the requirements set out in law.
Even where a report does not meet the legal definition of whistleblowing, the information provided may still be relevant to our regulatory role. We treat all reports of serious concern carefully, confidentially, and in line with our statutory responsibilities.
Whistleblowing is when an individual reports serious concerns about wrongdoing, risk, or unethical behaviour within their workplace or related business activities. This may include breaches of law, regulatory requirements, or company policies.
Potential whistleblowers may inform the GSC about relevant serious concerns under the Public Interest Disclosure (Prescribed Persons) Order 2025
By doing so, they may receive statutory protection under the Employment Act 2006 if they suffer detriment from their employer as a result of whistleblowing. This Act aims to protect workers who make disclosures about wrongdoing to their employer or to certain prescribed bodies; these are known as protected disclosures.
Under the Act, dismissal of a worker will automatically be deemed unfair if the principal reason for their dismissal is that they made a protected disclosure in good faith. However, the GSC cannot determine whether a disclosure is protected, intervene in employment disputes, or provide legal advice. Only an employment tribunal can decide whether a disclosure qualifies for protection and whether compensation applies.
More information, on whistleblowing can be found on the Manx Industrial Relations Service's website by clicking on the image below. This includes A Brief Guide to whistleblowing issued by the Department for Enterprise, which describes the types of disclosure that may qualify for protection.
How to Contact the GSC
If you have a concern about wrongdoing, regulatory non‑compliance, or any matter connected to gambling operations in the Isle of Man, you can contact the GSC directly.
You can contact us in the following ways:
Email: Whislteblowing.GSC@gov.im
Post: Mark your letter Strictly Private & Confidential and address it to:
The Chief Executive Officer
Gambling Supervision Commission
Ground Floor
St George’s Court
Myrtle Street
Douglas
Isle of Man
IM1 1ED
