An entrepreneur who built a global business from the Isle of Man has outlined the positives of the island being the base of his operations.

Michael Tobin founded Continent 8 Technologies, which is Douglas a tech-firm that provides managed hosting, connectivity, cloud and cybersecurity services solutions to the regulated iGaming and online sports betting industry.

The business delivers the infrastructure that powers and protects the sector’s leading gaming brands, such as Games Global and Apricot (formerly Microgaming), who both have a significant presence in the island.

Mr Tobin still serves as the business’ chief executive and runs the operation, which spans more than 100 locations across the world, all from the island.

Talking about why he decided to base his operations here, he said: ‘We had short-listed several locations, but the Isle of Man distinguished itself for two main reasons.

‘First and foremost, I had an instant connection with the island, reminiscent of my hometown in southern Quebec, Canada, which added a personal touch from the outset.

‘Secondly, we had built professional relationships with several companies in the island – many of which we are still partnering with to this day – which facilitated introductions to local government officials and key advisors.

‘After initial discussions about our long-term plans, commitment and investment in the region, establishing our presence here became quite seamless.’

Asked if he thinks it was the right decision, Mr Tobin added: ‘We think so!

‘We've been here for more than 20 years, and the support from government entities, gaming and non-gaming businesses and the broader Isle of Man community has been exceptional.’

Continent 8 also recently built a state-of-the-art data centre in Douglas, staffed by a local team of more than 20 professionals and specialists, which is part of a global network of more than 100 interconnected sites.

‘The data centre allows us to deliver secure, resilient, high-performance infrastructure and uncompromised gaming experiences to our customers and their players,’ Mr Tobin added.

‘For me personally, the Isle of Man holds a special place in my heart – I have long-lasting friendships there and I aim to visit as often as I can.’

After setting up Continent 8, Mr Tobin later set-up C8 Secure, a division of Continent 8 which focuses on delivering advanced threat prevention and response cybersecurity solutions to brands across industries.

These industries include the fast food and restaurant sector, finance, government, iGaming and online sports.

‘As the iGaming world has grown, so have the number of cyber threats,’ Mr Tobin said.

‘By tapping into our infrastructure know-how, we've pinpointed potential cybersecurity risks and set up the right defences to keep our customers safe, not just in iGaming but across other industries as well.’

Asked if he had any words of advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, Mr Tobin added: ‘If I could offer one key piece of guidance, it would be to align yourself with a mentor or advisor.

‘With the right network, you'll discover someone whose skills and perspectives could complement and enhance your own, potentially propelling your venture to the next level.’