PokerStars today announced that it has acquired the Douglas Bay Complex in Onchan, Isle of Man which has served as the company’s corporate headquarters since 2005.
Isle of Man Chief Minister Hon. Allan Bell, MHK, said, “We are pleased that PokerStars has taken this step as it underlines their commitment to maintaining their headquarters here in Isle of Man. PokerStars has been a welcome civic and community leader as well as an important employer.”
“PokerStars are proud to call Isle of Man our home,” said Mark Scheinberg, PokerStars Chairman of the Board. “We chose the Isle of Man as our corporate headquarters because it is among an elite group of countries that is at the forefront of e-gaming and provides a strict and rigorous licensing framework for our industry. We feel very much a part of the local community and look forward to strengthening our ties even further.”
The Douglas Bay Complex is a well-known landmark in Onchan and it sits on the site of the former Douglas Bay Hotel, which stood for nearly 100 years before a fire ravaged the building in 1988. The hotel served thousands of UK and European vacationers and was the home to the legendary Texas Bar, which featured live music and was the sometime rehearsal and performance space for the Bee Gees.
The current office design of 60,000 square feet and 325 car park spaces opened in 2003 with the primary tenant as Royal Skandia Life Assurance company. PokerStars first occupied the building in August 2005 with 4,000 square feet and now occupies 20,000 square feet and employs more than 200 people in the Isle of Man.
-ENDS-
