Aristocrat Leisure announced it has been awarded the first Gaming-Related Vendor licence by the UAE’s new federal gambling regulator.
The Australian slot giant was granted a the supplier licence yesterday (28 October), by the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA).
The Middle Eastern country is set to see the $5bn Wynn Al Marjan Island open in Q1 2027, marking the first integrated casino resort to open in the MENA region.
CEO of Aristocrat’s Gaming division Hector Fernandez said: “We are honoured to be the first large, international technology provider to be awarded a gaming-related vendor license to serve the UAE market.
“At Aristocrat, our vision is to deliver the best seat in the house wherever, and whenever the world plays. We look forward to doing so by providing premium content for players in the UAE while simultaneously encouraging responsible gameplay.”
Aristocrat granted online authorisation
The licence grants Aristocrat the ability to provide its suite of land-based electronic gaming machines, as well as its online games and technology solutions to GCGRA-authorised commercial operators.
The fact the licence has an online component raises questions about exactly what form this will take and the direction of the country’s so far unpublished gambling regulations.
Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, which principally deals with online gaming, is consulting on the regulations alongside land-based specialists Gaming Laboratories International.
Wynn Resorts said it was granted the UAE’s first operator licence earlier in the month, resulting in a 3.45% boost in its share price.
The business said at the time: “We are underway with the construction of our resort in Ras Al Khaimah and look forward to being a key partner in the development of its tourism economy.”
Analysts at Morgan Stanley recently upgrade Wynn’s share price rating, citing the casino group’s UAE project as an opportunity undervalued by investors.
In support of this, the analysts highlighted the country’s favourable demographics and Wynn’s status as sole operator for the first three to five years, arguing markets with limited supply have historically generated outsized returns.
Wynn’s Las Vegas Strip competitor MGM Resorts also announced it applied for a casino licence in September, making it the second commercial operator to do so.
