Reports suggest the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will adopt a limited licensing model for its forthcoming online gambling market. According to industry media
Reports suggest the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will adopt a limited licensing model for its forthcoming online gambling market. According to industry media outlet Vixio GamblingCompliance, citing unnamed sources, the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) intends to issue a maximum of one B2C online gaming license for each of the country’s seven emirates. This mirrors the approach already established for the UAE’s land based casino license framework, where each emirate must decide whether to permit integrated resorts.
While the GCGRA regulation model theoretically allows for up to seven online gaming licenses UAE, industry observers anticipate a much smaller market initially. Vixio GamblingCompliance reported that sources expect only two or three emirates will choose to proceed with online gaming operations. This cautious approach reflects the UAE’s careful and measured entry into the gambling sector. To date, only one land based casino license has been awarded, for the $5 billion Wynn Al Marjan Island integrated resort in Ras Al Khaimah, scheduled to open in 2027. Abu Dhabi is widely considered the most likely candidate for a second land based license.
The groundwork for the UAE online gaming market appears well underway. The recent issuance of B2B supplier licenses UAE to iGaming platform provider Hub88 Holdings and sports data firm Sportradar indicates that the technical and commercial infrastructure is being put in place. These B2B approvals strongly suggest that the award of the first B2C license UAE permits for online gaming and sports wagering UAE is imminent. The GCGRA, under CEO Kevin Mullally, has actively encouraged suppliers to bring innovative products to the market.
Mullally recently stated that the UAE gaming regulation framework is designed to be adaptive. “ Technology should lead, not the regulations,” he said at the SBC Summit. “ Whatever you bring us… we will figure out a way to regulate it… We want innovation to lead and regulation to adapt.” This forward thinking approach aims to position the UAE as a global leader in gaming technology within a tightly controlled GCGRA regulation environment.
The reported decision by the GCGRA to limit B2C online gaming licenses to one per emirate is a highly significant strategic move, clearly signalling the UAE’s intention to create a premium, tightly controlled, and potentially highly profitable regulated market. This scarcity model mirrors the land based casino license approach and contrasts sharply with more open licensing regimes seen elsewhere. It suggests the GCGRA regulation aims to attract only the largest, best capitalized, and most reputable international operators who can meet stringent requirements, likely involving substantial investment commitments and a strong focus on responsible gambling. For operators, securing one of these limited UAE online gaming licenses would represent an extremely valuable, almost monopolistic, position within that specific emirate, driving intense competition for the few permits expected to be issued (likely in Dubai and Abu Dhabi initially).
This limited license approach within the UAE gambling regulation framework also reflects the GCGRA’s stated ambition to lead through innovation while maintaining strict control. By capping the number of B2C license UAE holders, the regulator can maintain closer oversight and ensure operators adhere to high standards. Kevin Mullally’s comments encouraging suppliers to innovate suggest the UAE gaming regulation will be less prescriptive than some established markets, focusing on outcomes (safety, integrity) rather than dictating specific technologies. This creates a unique opportunity for operators and suppliers to deploy cutting edge products, potentially making the UAE online gaming market a testbed for new concepts, provided they align with the GCGRA’s core principles of safety and responsible gaming.
However, the success of this limited UAE online gaming license model will depend on effective GCGRA regulation enforcement against the inevitable black market. With potentially only a few licensed operators, the challenge will be to prevent unlicensed international sites from targeting UAE residents. The effectiveness of payment blocking and ISP blocking, alongside the attractiveness and competitiveness of the licensed offering (including product range and pricing), will be critical. The granting of B2B supplier licenses UAE is a positive step, but the true test for the GCGRA will be balancing its high standards and limited licensing with the need to channel players away from unregulated alternatives in this nascent Middle East gambling market.
