Isle of Man Gambling Commission responds to UN report on organised crime
The 94-page report from the United Nations had a page dedicated to the Isle of Man tackling transnational organised crime within the past year.
Key points:
– The Isle of Man was previously noted as a jurisdiction that was vulnerable to organised crime groups by the UNODC
– However, local authorities have conducted several raids in the past year on businesses suspected of illegal activities
– The report also linked Zhao Wei to businesses operating on the island
The Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission (GSC) has responded to a recent United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report on transnational organised crime in Southeast Asia.
The report explains how many groups are using casinos and Special Economic Zones in Southeast Asia to facilitate crimes such as money laundering, fraud and trafficking.
These crimes aren’t contained to Southeast Asia though, as their effects can be felt internationally.
The UNODC report featured a page specifically discussing the Isle of Man, particularly how “organised crime groups have expanded into the Isle of Man, a jurisdiction that hosts numerous ‘white label’ companies that have received licenses to operate online casinos”.
In response to this, the GSC has said: “The GSC takes information from international bodies such as UNODC very seriously and continues to work together with other agencies to target transnational criminal activity in the gambling sector and beyond through a coordinated approach.
“The Isle of Man Government, and all its relevant agencies and bodies, has a zero-tolerance attitude towards criminal activity.
“Significant and wide-reaching action is ongoing to ensure the GSC identify and mitigate such threats and we will not hesitate to use our regulatory authority to support law enforcement to halt those who engage in criminal activity in the Island.”
However, the report also notes that the Isle of Man has taken measures in the last year to combat this, including raiding the offices of companies suspected of fraud or other illicit activities.
In April 2024, authorities raided King Gaming and Dalmine Limited, which resulted in the arrests of at least seven individuals and the company’s licences being revoked.
In March 2025, police raided Ableton Prestige Global Limited and Amiga Entertainment, arresting two people.
This was described as “a large-scale international money laundering investigation,” with both companies believed to be owned by a “criminally implicated business group active in Cambodia that has been extensively linked to illegal online gambling and cyber-enabled fraud”.
Good to know: Local authorities also found links between Manx businesses and Zhao Wei, who chaired the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone before his expansion into the Isle of Man
The GSC continues: “Serious and organised transnational crime is a global threat, and the GSC is committed to playing its part in disrupting this activity and preventing the Island and the sector from being exploited.
“Reports such as these improve situational awareness of intensifying global impacts and implications of transnational crime and inform regulators of new and emerging threats.”
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