Economic Development Minister Allan Bell MHK has welcomed confirmation of the special safeguards in place to protect the money of customers of online gambling operators licensed in the Isle of Man. In a statement issued today the Island’s Gambling Supervision Commission said all its current licence holders were complying with the mandatory licensing requirement to keep players’ deposits and winnings separate from the funds used by the operator to conduct its business. This meant that any player could withdraw from their gambling account at any time, subject to the normal regulatory checks. Minister Bell commented: ‘At a time when the world of online gambling is in the spotlight the Isle of Man can provide reassurance that its operators are regulated to the highest standards. ‘The Isle of Man Government policy is to provide a well regulated jurisdiction for online gambling businesses and the Isle of Man is recognized as a first class jurisdiction for remote gambling. ‘In pursuit of this policy the Isle of Man offers the strongest possible consumer protection to players, whether they live in the Island, in the UK, or further afield, by requiring that player monies be held separately from a company’s assets in separate bank accounts protected by law – unlike in other jurisdictions - through trust arrangements or bank guarantees.’ ends