Online Gambling in the Gulf States

The Gulf states have long been against gambling due to religious reasons. Yet this is changing, with online and physical casinos now opening in the region.

You walk onto the casino floor. Slot machines ring in your ears, and croupiers call numbers and bets. A waitress brings you a drink, and you notice that you are surrounded by opulent furniture and fittings. Yet you are not in Macau, or even Nevada. Instead, you are in one of the many Gulf states where gambling has long been a taboo topic. The UAE has recently launched its regulated online gambling market. With more states set to follow, could the region be creating the Las Vegas of the Middle East?

The UAE’s New Progressive Gambling Policies

Residents and visitors will soon be able to gamble online in the UAE through a regulated system, as the country recently licensed several gaming websites. Announced in The National, the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority has provided its first license to an online casino. There is still yet to be a formal declaration of this, although the website is now live. It is only available from within the country itself.

The site will be operated by Coin Technology Projects LLC, who are based in Abu Dhabi. It will provide both a sports betting and online casino experience, all under one umbrella. This will mean people can play slots, roulette games and poker, while also betting on global events like the English Premier League, the NBA and horse racing. So far, betting sites in Dubai have been limited, leaving third-party websites to rate and review them in lieu of state regulation. Yet they have managed to rival those found elsewhere on the globe, providing everything from wagering on camel racing to major sports.

The Licenses Issued to Global Gambling Brands

This follows the launch of two similar sites created by the UAE's only licensed lottery company. Despite no formal recognition, the company that opened them, Momentum, does hold the license to run national competitions. The government has also issued licenses to the global brand Wynn to build its new physical casino complex. The penalty for gambling is usually a fine or sentences of up to two years in prison.

Licenses have also been granted to several suppliers. These include global brands such as Konami, Aristocrat, Light and Wonder, amongst others. A report by Vixio GamblingCompliance has stated that one online gaming license will be issued to each of the seven Emirates. This is a similar system to how licenses for land-based casinos are given out.

The Changing Face of Gambling in the Gulf

Gambling is still a niche pursuit in the Gulf states. Estimates are that the Middle East and Africa account for only 2% of the globe's gambling revenue. Forecasts on its growth are reasonable, with the market expected to grow 3.7% overall. The Gulf regions alone have a projected growth rate of 4.5 percent.

Logging onto the new site, it is very easy to see how the UAE has modelled its approach on other regulated markets, particularly in respect to responsible gambling. There are several tools to assist with deposit limits and exclusions. This means people are able to block all transactions for a minimum of six months, which provides quite a lengthy spell.

It is also expected that some citizens who want to log on may have to provide extra details or verification, which may be requested by their Emirate. There are seven of these, and each has a degree of autonomy.

This approach has proven tough in the past, particularly in places such as the United States. Here, each state has its own laws, meaning gambling can be totally banned in one place, yet free and open a few miles down the road. This can cause a regulatory headache. Other emerging markets, such as Nigeria, are struggling to get to grips with this approach right now.

The Glamorous First Casino in the UAE

The Wynn Al Marjan Island, the region's first fully integrated casino resort, finally reached its topping-out construction phase in the last weeks of 2025. All of the guest accommodation is structured, and around 79% of the tower's façade is in place. A completion date of 2026 is expected, and it will open in 2027. It is now also the tallest building in Ras Al Khaimah, standing at 352 metres.

A partnership between Wynn Resorts and Marjan, it will include 1,217 rooms, 297 suites, 22 dining areas, a beach, spa and pools. Of course, the real talking point is the casino, though this is often left out of official press releases. A second site is expected to be opened in 2028, named Janu Al Marjan Island.

The State of Gambling Across Arab Nations

Gambling in Arabic nations is generally prohibited, due to its status under Islamic law. Yet each country has its own approach to this, with some being more lenient and others gradually opening up to gambling. North African countries tend to have the most liberal approach. Morocco and Lebanon have recently set out a regulated system, and there are also legal casinos in Tunisia and Egypt.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia have traditionally been the most reluctant to embrace gambling. When the Burj Al Arab hotel was opened off the coast of Dubai around 25 years ago, many tipped its top floor to be the first casino in the Gulf, though this never came to be.

Saudi Arabia has given heavy fines and also prison sentences to those who gamble. Here, the only real form of gambling was found with raffles, which were often conducted in airport duty-free terminals.

Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar operate total bans and actively enforce this. Online software prohibits people from accessing offshore sites and can prosecute players. Qatar does allow airport lotteries, but Bahrain has done a U-turn and now prohibits them all. Oman and many other Gulf states follow a similar pattern.

Learning Lessons from Algeria

Gulf states now face a difficult decision, one that they can view playing out in real time in Algeria, another Islamic country on the African continent. Over 99% of the population follows the religion, and as a result, gambling is banned on religious and legal grounds. Yet as the youth of the country become more connected and engage with global sports, an offshore black market in betting has flourished.

Gambling companies, especially those offshore, have no grounds to disclose where traffic comes from. However, data obtained from search results and their locations have shown a high uptake in online gambling emanating from Algeria. In 2025, betting sites had around 2.13 million visits from the country. Much of this was directed to the major offshore gambling providers.

The most popular type of betting is on football. Many of the offshore betting groups are actually sponsors of major European clubs. Crucially, players must access these websites through a VPN, which is where many of these sites can transfer the risk.

Gambling and the problems it is creating have been addressed in Parliament. MP Slimane Zerguini has asked to detail the government’s response to these platforms, citing legal violations and social harm. He also referenced violations of the anti–money laundering law and their negative impact on youth.

The Changing Entertainment Landscape of the Gulf Region

Predictions are that the UAE could earn around $6.6 billion in gaming revenue annually. According to Bloomberg Intelligence, this could put it ahead of states like Singapore in terms of gambling income. They pointed out Singapore's revenue is 1.6% of its GDP, which would be a plausible target for the UAE.

More than anything else, it shows that the Gulf region is working hard to reposition itself as a global entertainment hub. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is overhauling Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman. This is being done through numerous initiatives spanning music to sports and gaming. The UAE may have managed to pip its neighbours to the post by opening a casino, namely Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Each country also has its own internal plans that align with this goal. These include Qatar's National Vision 2030, the UAE's Centennial 2071 plan, and Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030. Behind this is a very obvious and common threat: Oil reserves are depleting, and the world is turning to greener energy solutions.

Saudi Arabia has made huge investments in this. Its Riyadh Season is a testament to the cause, taking place between late winter and early spring. Set up by the General Entertainment Authority, it has included everything from WWF pay-per-views to concerts by Post Malone.

Even the pursuit of eSports, online gaming tournaments, is being invested in by the Gulf. The eSports World Cup has been held in the region, with Qatar having its own federation and Saudi Arabia hosting a cup that had a $70 million prize fund.

Gambling in the Gulf regions has arrived. Yet even those allowing it into law are treading carefully, wary of the long-held religious and cultural taboos it still has. As the countries here transition and position themselves as entertainment hubs, they must decide how gambling will fit into that. Lessons can be learned from elsewhere, and the government can do everything it can. Yet it may be the citizens who really decide if gambling is something they want to do and ultimately dictate its success.