UAE authorities have for years denied reports that the country which neighbours Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, is to lift an Arabian Gulf-wide ban on gambling.īut it has made a series of liberalising moves as it faces increased regional competition for talent and tourism, notably from Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Preliminary construction work has begun on Wynn Al Marjan Island which is scheduled to open in early 2027. Ras al-Khaimah is one of the seven members of the UAE, which includes the city state of Dubai.

In 2022, US-based casino operator Wynn Resorts announced plans to establish an “integrated resort”, including “gaming facilities”, in the emirate of Ras al-Khaimah. Gambling is prohibited under Islamic laws in the oil-rich Gulf state, whose population is 90 percent foreign. GCGRA’s board of directors is chaired by James Murren, who previously served as chairman of the American Gaming Association, a trade group representing the United States casino industry. “I look forward to establishing a robust regulatory body and framework for the UAE’s lottery and gaming industry,” Mullaly was quoted as saying in the WAM statement. Its CEO was named as Kevin Mullaly who served as executive director of the Missouri Gaming Commission - a body in charge of regulating riverboat casinos throughout the US state.

The statement did not clarify whether “gaming” refers to gambling and made no mention of casinos but senior officials hired to run the body are industry veterans. The General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) will “coordinate regulatory activities, manage licensing… and facilitate unlocking the economic potential of commercial gaming,” the official WAM news agency said late Sunday. The United Arab Emirates has set up a regulatory body for “commercial gaming” - a step which could potentially allow for casino license’s in the Arab Gulf state where gambling is currently banned.

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