The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is moving closer to establishing its first structured national online gaming framework. The General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) is preparing to allow one business-to-consumer (B2C) licence per emirate, mirroring the measured approach used for the country’s burgeoning land-based casino industry.
This landmark decision represents a major stride toward a regulated national iGaming market.
The GCGRA’s flexible framework will permit each of the UAE’s seven emirates to issue a single operator licence for online gaming, contingent upon securing local government approval.
Consequently, market participation will be determined individually by each emirate. While analysts predict that only two or three emirates may opt into online gaming, this structure ensures controlled and cautious expansion across the nation.
This parallel structure is already evident in the land-based sector, where only one casino licence has been issued to date: Wynn Resorts.
The company is developing a US$5 billion integrated resort on Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah, a project viewed as the region’s pioneering regulated casino development. Abu Dhabi is widely expected to be the next emirate to pursue a land-based licence.
The GCGRA, established in 2023, is rapidly laying the essential regulatory and commercial foundations for iGaming. The federal authority has recently approved several B2B supplier licences, signalling its readiness for a broader online and sports wagering rollout.
Among the recent recipients are iGaming platform provider Hub 88 Holdings Ltd and Sportradar AG, a global leader in sports data and analytics. Sportradar’s new vendor licence allows it to supply its technology and integrity services to licensed operators, further demonstrating the shift from planning to implementation.
The initial B2C operator approvals for online gaming and sports betting are anticipated to arrive soon.
The GCGRA’s vision, as outlined at the SBC Summit in Lisbon, is for the UAE to become a global hub for gaming technology and innovation, setting a benchmark for the MENA region by balancing strict regulatory oversight with an innovation-first philosophy.
Kevin Mullally, CEO of the GCGRA on the B2C license situation:
“Our message to the industry and the technology providers is don’t design your game around the regulations. Technology should lead, not the regulations.”
“Whatever you bring us, we will design a way, we will make sure it’s safe, we will make sure that we have data to ensure that the customer experience is protected.
“We want innovation to lead and regulation to adapt, not the other way around.”
