US casino operator Wynn has received the first commercial gaming operator's license to be issued in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where gambling is currently banned.
The license was issued by the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority, which was set up last year to allow for commercial gaming licenses to be issued in the Gulf Arab state.
"Wynn Resorts ... is proud to be the recipient of the first commercial gaming facility license in the UAE," said a statement posted on the group's website on Saturday.
Last month, the UAE established a federal authority to regulate gambling and brought in experienced figures from the US industry to lead the initiative, marking the end of years of speculation about whether the country would permit gambling, which remains illegal across the conservative Gulf region.
These steps come amid heightened economic competition in the Gulf, particularly with Saudi Arabia. In a bid to maintain its position as the region's leading hub for trade, tourism, and finance, the UAE also introduced a series of liberal legal reforms.
Wynn operates casinos in Las Vegas and Boston as well as in Macau, a Chinese territory close to Hong Kong.
It is developing a luxury resort at Wynn Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah, one of the seven sheikhdoms that constitute the UAE which includes the tourist hub of Dubai.
The 1,542-room resort will have gaming amenities and is scheduled to open in early 2027.
Gambling is prohibited under Islamic laws in the oil-rich Gulf state, where the population is 90% foreign.
