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The land-based gaming arm of Australian listco Aristocrat Leisure has received the first “gaming-related vendor” licence to be issued by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) gambling regulator.
Aristocrat Gaming said the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) licence “grants Aristocrat the ability to provide the company’s land-based electronic gaming machines and online games and technology solutions to commercial gaming operators licensed by the GCGRA”.
The GCGRA has yet to confirm the licence has been issued, but Aristocrat’s announcement on Monday (October 28) hints the UAE could realise an online gambling segment ahead of the 2027 opening of Wynn Al Marjan Island, the federation’s first integrated resort.
“The issuance of the licence marks a new milestone in the GCGRA’s endeavour to establish a well-regulated commercial gaming sector in the market,” the statement said.
“As the GCGRA’s first supplier to obtain the licence, the company will offer world-class gaming content, hardware and services to cater to player interests and financial preferences.”
Aristocrat CEO Hector Fernandez said the company is looking forward to “providing premium content for players in the UAE while simultaneously encouraging responsible gameplay”.
Aristocrat Gaming did not respond at publication time to Vixio GamblingCompliance questions on the hardware, software and services that it proposes to bring to market.
Aristocrat is the third company since the GCGRA formed in September 2023 to have confirmed receipt of a gaming licence in the UAE, a fledgling gambling market that promises to upend public and corporate impressions of gaming in the Middle East.
The first licensee is lottery monopoly The Game LLC, a little-known local venture that supplanted two existing lotteries that were ordered to suspend services on January 1.
The second licensee, Island 3 AMI FZ-LLC, represents the Wynn Resorts consortium whose $5.1bn integrated resort in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah is on track for a first-quarter opening in 2027. Wynn confirmed receiving the licence early this month.
MGM Resorts International has confirmed it has also applied for a casino licence for its proposed project in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.
