The idea against gambling in the UAE is deep-rotted in the cultural and religious practices of the country. Until recently, in fact, all forms of gambling were, and still are to a great extent, considered illegal in the UAE, mainly because ‘Maisie’ (gambling in Arabic) is considered a haram (forbidden) following the religious Sharia Law.
Still, the UAE’s federal law against gambling can be contradictory within the same respected cultural practices that happen in the country – such as horse racing and camel racing – which is mostly available within all the UAE states and where unofficial betting for such races is widely popular. The lottery is also popular within the UAE and is mostly accepted because it incorporates the idea of Zakat, meaning the notion of giving back to society. This is one of the five pillars of Islam, and lottery institutions within the country use that business model – giving a chunk of their profits to those in need.
A Turning Point
In 2023, a major turning point in UAE’s gambling legal landscape happened – the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) was formed – the very first legal and regulatory body with the aim to address, oversee and issue licenses for gambling practices in the UAE.
In fact, since its formation, GCGRA has already legalized lottery practices that can operate within the UAE. Companies like Game LLC and Dubai Millennium Millionaire, which were already operating within unofficial legal frameworks or loopholes, are now fully licensed to operate lottery practices within the UAE, as long as charitable practices are still embedded with how the company uses a share of their profit.
Another landmark in UAE gambling is GCGRA’s guarantee of license to Wynn Resorts – the famous casino hotel resort currently being erected in Ras Al Khaimah and scheduled to open in 2027. This is a breakthrough, as it will be the first official land-based casino to be granted a land-based casino permit in the UAE.
Online Casinos are still a Grey Area.
Though widely practised, online casinos in the UAE are still officially unrecognized within the UAE framework. Still, thousands of Emiratis practice online gaming, mainly through VPNs and cryptocurrencies as payment methods. Casino play is so common that online casinos offer dedicated bonuses and offers just for Emirati players.
\Still, one of the main questions we are asked at EmiratesCasino is, is it safe to play? First and foremost, all the UAE casinos we feature here are licensed through world-acclaimed gambling authoritative bodies such as Curacao and MGA. Secondly, they operate through strict safety features such as an encrypted platform and features that are RNG-tested for fairness.
Having said that, the launch of GCGRA in 2023 has already legalized forms of gambling in just a short timeframe. We believe that the authoritative body will also regulate all aspects of gambling within the UAE—including online casinos—which are widely practised in the country, especially in Dubai.
