The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is making ready to roll out its first structured on-line gaming framework, with the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) set to permit one business-to-consumer (B2C) licence per emirate. The transfer follows the identical mannequin used for the nation’s rising land-based on line casino trade and represents a serious step towards a regulated nationwide iGaming market.
One Licence Per Emirate
The GCGRA will allow every of the UAE’s seven emirates to challenge one operator licence for on-line gaming, topic to native authorities approval. This means participation will rely on every emirate’s particular person choice to proceed, making the framework versatile but managed.
The same construction applies to the nation’s land-based gaming sector. So far, just one on line casino licence has been issued—to Wynn Resorts, which is growing a US$5 billion built-in resort on Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah. The challenge, which is able to function the UAE’s first regulated on line casino, is already seen as a landmark growth for the area.
Industry observers imagine Abu Dhabi might be subsequent to obtain a land-based licence, although not all emirates are anticipated to be a part of. Analysts forecast that solely two or three emirates might choose into on-line gaming, reflecting the UAE’s measured strategy to enlargement within the sector.
Groundwork for Online Regulation
Reports point out that regulatory and business foundations for iGaming are already being established. The GCGRA has just lately authorized a number of B2B provider licences, signaling readiness for a broader rollout of on-line and sports activities wagering operations.
Among the most recent recipients are Hub 88 Holdings Ltd, an iGaming platform supplier, and Sportradar AG, a world chief in sports activities information and analytics. Sportradar’s vendor licence, introduced final week, permits it to provide its expertise, analytics, and integrity companies to licensed operators inside the UAE, underscoring the nation’s transition from planning to implementation.
The GCGRA, based in 2023, serves because the UAE’s federal authority for licensing, regulation, and oversight of all business gaming and nationwide lottery exercise. Its latest licensing strikes recommend the primary operator approvals for on-line gaming and sports activities betting may arrive quickly.
Innovation-Led Regulation
During his tackle on the SBC Summit in Lisbon in September, Kevin Mullally, CEO of the GCGRA, outlined an bold imaginative and prescient for the UAE to grow to be a world hub for gaming expertise and innovation.
“Our message to the industry and the technology providers is don’t design your game around the regulations,” Mullally mentioned. “Technology should lead, not the regulations.”
He inspired builders to combine new mechanics, reflexive math, and social interplay into their merchandise, emphasizing that the regulator will adapt to rising applied sciences reasonably than prohibit them.
“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,” Mullally defined. “We want innovation to lead and regulation to adapt, not the other way around.”
Mullally added that the UAE intends to “redefine what gaming is for the rest of the world,” positioning the nation as a benchmark for balancing innovation, regulation, and participant safety.
Cementing a New Role within the MENA Region
Industry analysts imagine the UAE’s gradual and technology-driven strategy may reshape the Middle East and North Africa’s (MENA) gaming panorama. By integrating regulatory oversight with fashionable gaming frameworks, the GCGRA is laying the groundwork for an ecosystem that prioritizes each innovation and integrity.
The framework—combining restricted licensing, federal supervision, and an innovation-first philosophy—marks a historic second within the UAE’s transition towards a regulated, accountable, and forward-thinking gaming market.
Sources:
UAE Plans to Offer One Online Gambling Licence Per Emirate, asgam.com, October 2025.
