The Isle of Man is moving closer to a new enforcement model that would let its gambling regulator fine individuals, not just licensed companies, for anti-money laundering failures. The Gambling Supervision Commission opened a consultation on March 23 covering draft civil penalty regulations and new guidance for individuals, with feedback due by May 25.
The proposal sits inside the Gambling Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2025, which is already moving through Tynwald. If passed, it would widen section 22 of the Gambling (Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism) Act 2018 so civil penalties could reach controllers, key persons, and senior managers as well as operators.
The bill would put directors and senior staff in scope
Right now, civil penalties can only be imposed on the operator. Under the draft changes, the GSC would be able to penalize certain individuals where an operator’s AML or CFT breach happened with that person’s consent, connivance, or negligence. The regulator’s draft guidance says it will explain how responsibility would be judged, how penalties would be calculated, and how the decision-making process would work.
The bill also says the Commission must publish a statement setting out the maximum penalty, the factors it will consider, and the process it will follow. It would not be able to impose a civil penalty on an individual for old conduct before the new power takes effect, unless the breach was still continuing after commencement, and it would have a six-year limit from the date the contravention came to the regulator’s attention.
The GSC is pairing the proposal with tougher oversight tools
This is not the only power being added. The bill also expands the GSC’s direction powers so it can require information, and it adds new warning notice provisions for relevant people such as directors, senior managers, key persons, and controllers. The Commission has also said it will hold an online Q&A session before closing the consultation.
That tougher tone follows a busy period for enforcement. In February, the GSC imposed a £250,000 gross penalty on Shelgeyr Limited, discounted to £200,000. Last July, it imposed a £5.625 million gross penalty on Celton Manx, discounted to £3.94 million.
The push comes as the island flags higher gambling sector risk
The Isle of Man has been tightening its AML posture ahead of its next MONEYVAL cycle, and gambling is part of that work. The GSC’s gambling sector risk assessment, published in February, rated the sector overall as medium-high risk for money laundering, with online gambling also classed as medium-high risk.
If the bill passes in its current form, the island’s gambling sector will be dealing with a different compliance reality. Company fines would remain in place, but directors and other senior figures would no longer be able to assume that regulatory fallout stops at the corporate level.
