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Impact Of New Gambling Developments in Dubai UAE On The Poker Industry

The latest Yas Island advertisements featuring Ryan Reynolds as the official island ambassador show that the United Arab Emirates are more serious than ever before about attracting Western visitors. The small country has bloomed in the last 25 years as money has been invested heavily in making it a tourist destination.

One of the smartest decisions that has been made was to balance investment across the hospitality industry sectors. This made it possible for the country to cater to tourists with varied interests and hobbies.

Adventure and eco tourists are satisfied by desert safaris, dune buggy expeditions and surfing beaches. Luxury tourism is encouraged by the development of extensive, elite shopping centres like the Mall of the Emirates and the Sahara Centre. The amusement parks of the UAE have also proved to be a major draw for visitors from around the world, such as Ferrari World, IMG Worlds of Adventure, Warner Bros. World and Motiongate Dubai. All these resorts, parks and activities are accompanied by luxury hotels, restaurants and other amenities.

Something has always been missing however when we compare Dubai and the wider UAE with other international tourism destinations — world class casinos. Gambling is a lucrative industry that acts as a massive pull for vacationers. Simply consider Las Vegas, Macao or Monte Carlo. All these locations thrive due to visitors who want to play casino games, particularly poker, while enjoying a luxury experience.

Until recently, there didn’t seem to be a path forwards for the legalisation of gambling in the United Arab Emirates. The legal frameworks in place in the country, some of which are rooted in the Quran, did not have provisions for legalising gambling.

That changed in September 2023 with the creation of the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA). The GCGRA will develop a way to legalise gambling in the UAE and be responsible for licensing, regulation and supervision of the industry.  

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Online gambling

Many people who live in or are vacationing in Dubai or the wider UAE pose the question: is online casino legal in the Emirates? The answer will likely change to a yes soon. Currently there is a grey area. meaning that there are no online casinos licensed by the UAE but players in the country can still access offshore online casinos without an issue.

We’re likely to see GCGRA move forwards with fully legalising online gambling before any other type of gambling. This is because the investment it requires is lower. Physical resort casinos require years of planning and construction and are incredibly expensive to build and operate. Online casinos and poker rooms, on the other hand, can be launched quickly and easily with minimal investment.

The likely impact on the poker industry by the legalisation of online poker in the UAE will be a positive one. Poker is a hugely popular game that flourishes even in locations where public gambling is illegal. In countries like the USA and India where gambling laws vary dramatically depending on the region, private poker rooms and online poker rooms have always found plenty of eager players.

The likely outcome of the legalisation of online poker in the UAE is that the underground poker culture that already exists will help fuel a wave of increased popularity for the card game.

Casino gambling

Playing at a land-based casino is a huge part of the gambling experience for many people. The games are basically the same everywhere, from the small-town casino room to online casinos and resort casinos. What people crave is the experience of physically being at the casino — feeling the energy of other players around you, listening to the dealers calling for bets or the bells and whistles of the slot machine games, feeling the weight of the dice or the scratchy texture of the baize.

Casino gambling is also in the process of being legalised and regulated by GCGRA. Casino licenses haven’t been issued yet but major gambling brands are already showing interest in entering the region. MGM Resorts and Wynn Resorts are two of the big names that have begun the licensing process.

Wynn is one of the best-known names in casino gambling. They are the company behind the eponymous casinos in Las Vegas and Macao, as well as the Encore casinos in Las Vegas, Massachusetts and Macao. Their proposal for a luxury resort casino in the UAE was the first to be accepted. The expected opening date of the Wynn Al Marjan Island casino resort is early 2027.

Conclusions

Serious work is being done to make Dubai and the UAE a home for responsible and well-regulated gambling. Classic games including poker are likely to see the most success, both in person and online, once legalised gambling arrives.

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