The board of Digital Isle of Man are ‘very much alive’ to the risks of the island being exploited by transnational criminal gangs, MHKs have been told.

Board member of the digital agency, Ann Corlett was asked in the House of Keys about plans to attract offshore gaming operators from the Philippines - despite concerns about alleged links to criminality.

Ms Corlett told MHKs that any further decisions had been deferred while Digital IoM considers ‘outputs, feedback and broader risks’ - and no further trips are currently planned.

Last month’s visit to Manila by the digital agency’s chief executive Lyle Wraxall and a member of the strategic partnership team aimed to ‘explore opportunities to attract credible operators’. The trip cost £15,000.

Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) were banned this year by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr amid concerns over alleged links to cyber-fraud, human trafficking, kidnapping, extortion and money laundering.

Ms Corlett acknowledged the outreach carried risk as a result of the criminal activity of some operators in the Philippines.

She stressed that the trip was not part of a campaign to attract ‘grey market’ operators.

Douglas Central MHK Chris Thomas asked: ‘Is the member confident about the future of gaming in the Isle of Man? What are the prospects for e-gaming in the island?’

The board member replied: ‘It is a healthy sector in the Isle of Man, and we must ensure we are always mindful of the reputation of the Isle of Man as a responsible, well regulated jurisdiction.

‘The digital agency board are very much alive to the risks of exploitation. Risks and threats are always taken into account when any decision is made’

Ms Corlett said we should ‘not condemn an entire sector or community based on the actions of a few’. There are several well established businesses in the Isle of Man with connections to Asia, she pointed out.

She said transnational organised crime posed a significant global threat and the Isle of Man continues to identify and disrupt criminal activity of this nature, supporting victims of modern slavery and human trafficking.

Meanwhile, MPs Dame Margaret Hodgson and Andrew Mitchell have accused international financial centres including the Isle of Man of trying to delay bringing in public registers of corporate ownership which they say are the ‘best antidote to the scourge of illicit finance’.

Speaking ahead of a two-day ministerial summit in London between the UK government and the British Overseas Territories, they said: ‘We know all too well that the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies play a pivotal role in helping crooks and tax dodgers launder and hide their dirty money.’

Successive Manx governments have committed to following international standards on public registers of beneficial ownership.

But plans were delayed following a ruling by the European Union’s Court of Justice in 2022 that making accessible details of beneficial ownership to any member of the public was invalid.

The court ruled it excessively infringed on an individual’s right to respect for private life and to the protection of personal data.