UAE Could Get Online Casinos, Egypt To Host Conference: The Latest Gambling And iGaming News From The Arab World

Gamblers in the United Arab Emirates could well be able to bet online soon, but it will all depend on where the UAE they are.

The country’s General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) is currently getting set to allow one license for an online platform for each of the UAE’s seven emirates.

This move would see online gambling in the country subject to the same regulatory model as physical casinos, where a limited form of licensing is subject to local approval. The proposals would see each emirate granted a license subject to local government approval. Nonetheless, people in the UAE can already learn how to get started with Arabic casinos safely with reliable and secure options available to interested players.

There are currently no physical casinos operating in the UAE. The Wynn Al Marjan Island casino in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah is under construction, having been approved by the region’s government in 2022. The development, expected to open its doors in early 2027, is set to feature a 20,900 square metre main casino, 22 private villas, 22 restaurants, 1,542 hotel rooms, 7,500 square meters of convention space, and 15,000 square meters of retail space.

At present, the Ras Al Khaimah facility is the only one under construction, but there have been unconfirmed reports that a second casino could be approved in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. Similarly, it is not yet clear whether large international gambling companies will apply for the licenses, or whether smaller UAE-based start-ups will try to get them.

Currently, the UAE laws are broadly based on the Islamic view of gambling, which forbids it. However, there are some exceptions in the country. For instance, competitions, including raffles, are legal, although they do need to have the approval of the relevant authorities. Similarly, there is some sports betting available at the country’s racecourses.

However, things are changing. The GCGRA was set up in 2023 to help create frameworks for gambling to take place in the UAE and, in November 2024, the UAE’s national lottery started up. Recently, Scientific Games was awarded the license to operate a lottery while Novomatic has been given a gaming vendor licence which lets it distribute land-based gaming equipment.

Nevertheless, gambling is restricted to specific areas in the country, such as the upcoming Wynn casino resort, and the Federal authorities take a dim view of unlicensed gambling with potential jail time and fines for offenders.

At present, it is unclear which of the individual emirates, if any, will grant approval to an online gambling site for customers in the UAE.

Moving away from the Emirates, the Strategic Platform for iGaming Conference & Exhibition (SPiCE) will be hosting its first event in the Arab world next year.

SPiCE North Africa and the Middle East is set to take place from May 6 to May 8 next year in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

The conference will feature a range of guests and speakers from both the traditional gaming and iGaming industries, although the specifics of who exactly will be attending are somewhat thin on the ground.

However, the event’s organisers suggest that the guest list will be at least 90 per cent decision makers and that there will be people from four continents there.