The General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) has awarded a Gaming Related Vendor Licence to Fennica Gaming, further shaping the United Arab Emirates’ burgeoning supplier market. This move signals significant future potential for licences from the UAE gambling regulator, particularly as a recent industry event highlighted the possibility of a UAE licence being “passported” to neighbouring Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

The GCGRA’s award of a Gaming Related Vendor Licence to Fennica Gaming makes it the tenth company to receive such a license from the UAE gambling regulator. This further solidifies the emerging supplier ecosystem in the United Arab Emirates. With this licence, Fennica Gaming, which is active with titles across three continents in more than 15 countries, can now supply its casino titles to operators in the regulated UAE casino market once it officially launches. Fennica Gaming joins a growing list of approved GCGRA vendors that includes Aristocrat, Smartplay, PayBy, Xpoint, EQL Games, Novomatic, IGT, Scientific Games, and Random State. Timo Kiiskinen, Managing Director of Fennica Gaming, conveyed, as reported by iGaming Times, that receiving the Gaming Related Vendor License from the GCGRA is a “significant step” for the company’s global presence. He added, as reported by iGaming Times, that the UAE represents a “new dynamic market” and a possibility for Fennica to enter a new continent and new markets, expressing excitement to contribute to the development of its regulated gaming sector with their trusted and innovative solutions.

Key Operator Licenses Issued So Far

While ten companies have now received Gaming-Related Vendor Licences from the GCGRA, only two companies have been awarded an operator licence by the UAE gambling regulator so far. The Game LLC was awarded a Lottery Licence in July last year (2024), authorising it to be the operator of the UAE national lottery. Wynn Resorts received a Land-Based Gaming Facilities Licence in October 2024 for its joint venture Wynn Al Marjan Island resort in Ras Al Khaimah, developed with Marjan and RAK Hospitality Holding, which is expected to open in 2027. The GCGRA also has a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in place with the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJ DGE), aimed at strengthening the commercial gaming industry with an emphasis on cybersecurity, consumer protection, and regulatory collaboration.

Future Potential: UAE Licence Passporting to GCC

The significant future potential of UAE licences was a key topic of discussion during a panel at the recent SBC Digital - Middle East and Africa 2025 two-day webinar event. The panel, titled ‘A New Era for Gaming in the Middle East,’ featured Jad Gharios, Chair of BetArabia; Dany Eid, Founder of BetArabia; and Joseph Borg, Partner at WH Partners, and was moderated by SBC Advisory Partners’ Founder & Managing Director, Anton Kaszubowski. Joseph Borg stated, as reported by iGaming Times, that the establishment of a gambling framework and regulator in the UAE represents a “momentous shift in the gaming industry” in the region. He added, as reported by iGaming Times, that current legislation in the country could also allow for a UAE licence to be “passported” to other neighbouring countries within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Borg reportedly highlighted, as reported by iGaming Times, that the law already caters for the passporting of the license across GCC countries, explicitly naming Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Oman. He reportedly expressed that while this may mean nothing “today,” it “already sheds some light on what the plans are for the future,” suggesting that a license from the UAE could technically be passported to other GCC countries, finding this extremely interesting.

In conclusion, the GCGRA’s recent award of a vendor license to Fennica Gaming, making it the tenth approved supplier, alongside insights from industry panels, underscores the rapid development of the UAE’s regulated gaming market. The potential for UAE licenses to be “passported” across GCC countries highlights a strategic long-term vision that could significantly broaden the regional impact of the UAE’s emerging gaming sector, positioning it as a key hub for the Middle East and beyond.