The UAE gambling regulator, the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA), plans to enforce a new licensing model for remote gaming operators. The watchdog will adopt the same one-permit-per-emirate model it currently uses to regulate land-based gambling. Experts suggest that this will allow greater flexibility in governance.
One Gambling Licence Each for the Seven Emirates: Highlights of the Story
- The GCGRA will soon enforce a new law that will allow each of the seven emirates to issue one online gambling licence, similar to how land-based operations are currently regulated.
- The new framework will allow the GCGRA to issue one B2C remote gaming licence per emirate, subject to local approval. This demonstrates a sharp but cautious transformation in the UAE’s approach to gambling.
- Experts believe that while Abu Dhabi will be among the first emirates to capitalise on the opportunity, others will take a cautious approach when embracing online gambling. Three emirates at most will likely permit remote gaming operations.
UAE Mulls Similar Licensing Regulations for Online and Land-based Gambling Operations
The GCGRA plans to adopt a one licence per emirate framework for online gambling, similar to how land-based permits are currently issued. To date, the regulator has issued just one land-based gambling permit to the Wynn Al Marjan Island. Experts suggest that Abu Dhabi could be the first to offer a remote gambling licence.
Under the licensing framework, the regulator will issue one Business-to-Consumer (B2C) gambling permit per emirate, subject to local approval. If the emirates choose to participate, they can issue one remote gaming permit for casino operations. The regulator is yet to issue a sports wagering licence.
Analysts familiar with the subject anticipate that only two or three emirates will approve online gambling in the near future. This highlights the UAE’s cautious approach to regulating the gambling market. While operator licences are currently limited, the GCGRA has issued several vendor licences.
Among the 17 gaming vendors permitted to bring their products to the UAE, IGT, Novomatic, and Sportradar stand out. This marks a significant shift in the UAE’s behaviour toward gambling, paving the way for vendors to support licensed operators in catering to consumer demands.
GCGRA Slowly Cementing its Position in the Global iGaming Scene
The General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority was established in 2023 as an independent organisation under the UAE’s Federal Government. It has the exclusive authority to regulate, license, and supervise all commercial gaming activities in the country. Despite being new, it has made considerable headway in regulating gambling activities in the UAE.
GCGRA CEO Kevin Mullally, during an interaction with the press at the SBC Summit in Lisbon in September, announced his vision for the GCGRA becoming a global leader in gaming innovation and technology. He encouraged vendors to focus on creativity rather than regulatory constraints.
Mullaly stated:
Our message to the industry and the technology providers is, don’t design your game around the regulations. Technology should lead, not the regulations, so if you can design a game that uses new concepts, uses reflexive math, combines elements of skill with elements of chance, integrates social media and figures out how to entertain your customers in the best way you can, we will figure out a way to regulate it.
He further explained that the GCGRA appreciates out-of-the-box ideas and would identify ways to draft laws around innovations.
Mullaly continued:
Whatever you bring us, we will design a way, we will make sure it’s safe, we will make sure that we have data to ensure that the customer experience is protected. We want the technology providers to focus on entertainment, not look at the regulations and say, ‘I have to design my games within this box.’ We want innovation to lead and regulation to adapt, not the other way around.