Microgaming’s new HQ open for business

ISLE OF MAN – Microgaming’s new purpose built HQ on the Isle of Man, adjacent to its existing office, officially opened on 31 July 2017.  

Construction began on the new office in April 2015, and just over two years later the company’s building, named Sixty Two, has opened. The 5-storey office houses over 100 employees, with a unique sky bridge joining the new and existing building, creating a campus for the company. All guests will be welcomed in the beautiful reception area that celebrates Microgaming’s product (with a demo wall to showcase games and awards), its employees (with a legends wall honouring the longest-serving members of the team) and its home (with a periscope showing a 360-degree view of Douglas, Isle of Man).

Designed with employees front of mind, the office environment fosters a culture of collaboration and communication. There are 16 meeting rooms, hot desks, and phone booths, as well as plenty of break-out areas on every floor. The entire fourth floor of the building is a communal area, featuring a canteen and coffee shop (with an exclusive Microgaming coffee blend!) to keep employees fuelled, as well as a darts board, pool tables, a poker table, table tennis table and a library for staff to take time out, away from their desks. A high emphasis has been placed on staff wellbeing with the provision of an in-house gym, a treatment room and a spacious studio to host weekly fitness classes, in addition to a rooftop garden offering stunning views of the island.

John Coleman, CFO of Microgaming, comments: “Following a number of years of hard work and commitment, it’s incredibly satisfying to see Sixty Two open. A lot of time was spent understanding the needs and wants of our employees so that a building could be designed specifically with them in mind. All involved, including staff and suppliers, should be incredibly proud of what they have achieved - I can’t thank them enough.”

Ensuring the building is as environmentally friendly as possible, Microgaming has worked closely with BREEAM, the world’s foremost environmental assessment method and rating system for buildings. The 45,000 square feet office is one of the first on the Isle of Man to achieve the BREEAM rating of Excellent, reflecting the company’s strong commitment to sustainability.

Key features have been built in to ensure efficient energy and waste management, including smart lighting that automatically dims to reduce consumption, air quality and temperature monitoring, as well as centralised recycling facilities on each floor. In addition, coffees and smoothies at the café are served in reusable cups and the materials used during construction have been repurposed to build new furniture, such as the scaffolding planks which have been turned into a table for the breakout area.

The second office on the island allows for the rapid expansion of Microgaming and Derivco Isle of Man, with overall staff numbers sitting at 231 to date.

Roger Raatgever, CEO of Microgaming, adds: “It’s incredible to think that when we set up Microgaming on the island back in 2001 there were just six staff. Now we are a campus in the heart of Douglas, with two large offices, and best of all they are connected by a sky bridge, which was a must for me! It’s an exciting new chapter for Microgaming and I’m immensely proud of what we achieved in our home.”

Microgaming was intent on using Manx-based businesses and workforce wherever possible, including Auldyn Construction Limited, Bell Burton Associates, Curtins, March Consultants Limited and SMS (IOM) Ltd. In addition, local architects, Savage & Chadwick took the lead role in the design of the building.
Interior furnishings were curated by Claire Coleman, who also designed bespoke installations such as the reception desk, the scaffold table, Legends Wall, bar front, library and external building sign. These installations, with the exception of the reception table, have all been manufactured locally by Macro Metal. Internal graphics throughout the building, including the Culture Ambassador wall, illuminated signage, in addition to the bubble gum machine were produced by The Hive and installed by Vivid Ltd.