Manavia, the corporate service provider arm of Isle of Man law firm MannBenham, has launched a dedicated suite of services to support land-based and online gaming operators preparing for the introduction of Data Asset Foundations (DAFs), a new legal framework currently progressing through the island’s legislative process.
The proposed regime, set out in the Foundations (Amendment) Bill 2025, is designed to establish a statutory structure through which data can be formally defined, governed, and utilized as an asset. The framework which is due to come into force in the summer represents one of the most advanced attempts globally to address how data is recognized and deployed within legal and commercial systems.
Manavia’s new offering provides end-to-end support for organizations seeking to explore and implement DAF structures, including legal design, governance frameworks, and ongoing administration. The service is aimed at both early-stage participants in the Isle of Man’s pilot program and operators positioning themselves ahead of wider market adoption.
At its core, the DAF model is intended to allow organizations to move beyond treating data as an operational by-product and instead structure it within a defined legal environment. Through formal dedication and registration processes, datasets can be organized into clearly defined data assets, with their scope, permitted uses, and access rights explicitly set out and governed.
How Data Asset Foundations Shape Organizational Outcomes
For the gaming sector, the implications could be significant. Operators generate large volumes of high-value data, including player behavior, transaction histories, fraud detection models, and loyalty program analytics, but have historically lacked a consistent legal framework through which to structure, control, and derive value from those datasets.
Under the proposed DAF approach, such datasets could be placed within a dedicated legal structure designed to enforce governance, auditability, and controlled utilization. Rather than transferring or exposing raw data, the framework is intended to enable controlled access and use within defined parameters, supporting more structured and secure data-sharing models.
This, in turn, may open the door to new forms of commercial activity. Subject to applicable accounting, regulatory, and market developments, operators could explore structured licensing arrangements with technology partners, analytics providers, and research institutions, allowing data to be deployed more actively while maintaining oversight and protection of sensitive proprietary information.
Miles Benham, Managing Director of MannBenham, said: “Gaming businesses have spent years building data estates that are genuinely valuable, but have not had a clear legal framework to structure and recognise that value. The Data Asset Foundation initiative is designed to address that gap. While the regime is still in its implementation phase, we are already seeing strong interest from operators who want to be early movers and position themselves ahead of wider adoption.”
As global regulatory and commercial frameworks continue to develop around data governance, valuation, and cross-border use, the Isle of Man’s approach is positioning itself at the forefront of efforts to establish a structured, legally grounded data economy. For data-intensive sectors such as gaming, the ability to define, control, and utilize data within a formal legal framework may become an increasingly important strategic differentiator.
