Casino operator Wynn wins UAE’s first gaming license
DUBAI, October 6, 2024 (BSS/AFP) – US casino operator Wynn has been awarded the first commercial gaming operating license issued in the United Arab Emirates, where gambling is currently prohibited.
The license was issued by the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority, which was established last year to allow the issuance of commercial gaming licenses in Gulf Arab countries.
A statement posted on the group’s website on Saturday said: “Wynn Resorts…is proud to have been awarded the first commercial gaming facility license in the United Arab Emirates.”
The company did not clarify whether “gaming” referred to gambling, nor did it mention casinos.
In addition to Las Vegas and Boston, Wynn operates casinos in Macau, a Chinese colony near Hong Kong.
The company is developing a luxury resort on Win Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah, one of the seven sheikhdoms that make up the UAE, including the tourist hub of Dubai.
The 1,542-room resort will feature gaming facilities and is scheduled to open in early 2027.
Gambling is prohibited under Islamic law in the oil-rich Gulf countries, where 90% of the population is foreign.
UAE authorities have long denied reports that the country, which borders Saudi Arabia and the birthplace of Islam, would lift its Gulf-wide gambling ban.
However, amid regional competition, the country is making a series of liberalization moves, especially with Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
This includes lifting the ban on unmarried couples living together.
Relax alcohol restrictions and offer extended stays.
In 2022, the UAE adopted a Western-style Saturday-to-Sunday weekend, experts say, in order to maintain an edge over regional competitors.