Pokerstars

The Island is making huge strides to ensure that it has a diversified economic base. One of the most promising, high profile, and relatively new sectors of the economy is, of course, eBusiness and eGaming.

The success of the fast growing eBusiness and eGaming sector depends on several key things being in place. A favourable tax regime, allied to a regulatory structure which is both rigorous and responsive is essential, and the Isle of Man Government has led the field in establishing both. The other side of the coin is having the IT infrastructure in place which companies can take advantage of in establishing and building their online business.

Commenting, Stephen Kane, eBusiness product manager, said “The growth of a thriving eBusiness and eGaming economy can only happen if there is a close working partnership between Government and private sector IT companies. Manx Telecom is committed to this partnership, and to playing its full role in making the Island the jurisdiction of choice for e-Business companies”.

It’s also a great advantage that the Island has a diverse range of professional services, such as legal, accountancy, banking, and insurance specialists, to underpin the establishment and expansion of the eBusiness and eGaming sector.

Record Breaking

One company which has chosen the Island as the base for its global operations is PokerStars, the world’s largest online poker site. Launched in September 2001 (when it was based in another jurisdiction) the company’s growth has been impressive. In December 2007, it entered the Guinness Book of World Records for having the most players simultaneously playing online - some 151,758. Today, PokerStars has close to 200,000 players at peak times and upwards of 150,000 players at their tables on a consistent basis, and continues to grow at a steady pace. In August this year, it passed another milestone when it dealt its 20 billionth hand.

Asked, why PokerStars chose to base itself on the Isle of Man, Gary Hill, Chief Network Architect and Head of Data Centre operations, said “Essentially, we were looking to establish ourselves in a well regulated environment. We believe that the future for any successful online gaming venture lies with those companies who embrace legislation and regulation. At PokerStars, we understand that doing so plays a key role in our success. Players increasingly only want to deal with properly established companies, and being based in the Isle of Man, and being regulated by Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission, is a significant added attraction for us, and is part of our brand”.

Crucial Decision

A key factor in PokerStars’s decision to operate from the Island was the data hosting facilities on offer. PokerStars is hosted at Douglas North, MT’s new Data Centre and Disaster Recovery facility.

The only purpose built data centre on the Isle of Man, Douglas North has resilience built into every part of its infrastructure, with multiple UPS (uninterruptible power supplies) and back-up generators to power the site through any emergency, diverse feeds for network connectivity, plus full air-conditioning, temperature and humidity controls. The building is also protected by the latest fire prevention, detection, and suppression technology.

“It goes without saying,” said Gary, “that maximum availability is at the core of our business – our players operate in real time and our site must be online at all times. The world class facility at Douglas North offers us 99.99% availability, and can’t be faulted in this respect. Also, while the ‘high-tech’ side of things is important, the fact that MT has played such close attention to the centre’s vital operating systems, such as power, and that MT has its own technicians on site 24hous a day to deal with any problems, was a massive factor in our choice of Douglas North”.

Expansion

Looking to the future, PokerStars looks set to grow as online entertainment of all kinds continues to boom, and as online gaming attracts a larger and larger audience who see it as a normal part of their leisure activities.

“The ability for us to expand is crucial,” said Gary, “and Manx Telecom has worked with us to allocate space and make sure that we will have room to grow in the data center. Knowing that, in data hosting terms, we have guaranteed ‘headroom’ greatly helps our business planning.”

Currently, Douglas North is hosting online business for leading banks, insurance companies, online payment processors, e-Music platforms, eGaming companies, and online bookmakers, and Manx Telecom has an active programme of marketing both the data centre and the Isle of Man to potential clients worldwide.

Commenting on the prospects for the future, MT’s Andy Bridson, Manx Telecom’s Marketing Director, said “No one can doubt that we have a range of hosting facilities unparalleled in other offshore jurisdictions, and which can match even the best of many leading onshore providers. The prospects for making the Island a pre-eminent location for e-commerce look excellent.”