The United Arab Emirates Is Building Its Own Las Vegas

07.10.2024 - 07:27 / skift.com / Ras Al-Khaimah / Wynn Resorts / Marjan Island / Josh Corder

The first rule of casinos in the UAE: You do not talk about casinos in the UAE.

In a nation where alcohol is tightly regulated and public swearing is a punishable offense, gambling remains a cultural and legal taboo, forbidden for its local citizens. Yet, beneath the surface, the architecture of a multi-billion-dollar gaming industry aimed at foreigners is quietly being assembled.

The clues are hard to miss: a national gaming authority has been created, seasoned casino executives from Las Vegas are taking up residence in the Emirates, and an ambitious hotel project is already in motion. Just this weekend, Wynn Resorts said it received license to operate a “gaming facility” in the UAE – the first of its kind.

Once fully realized, this industry could contribute up to 1.7% of the UAE’s GDP, potentially generating close to $10 billion annually — big for a country that, not long ago, was an expanse of untouched desert.

It would also mark one of the most profound cultural shifts in the UAE’s modern history. And for the past two years, the UAE government has been revealing its plans in slow, measured steps. 

But those in the know are keeping quiet. Operators from Las Vegas remain tight-lipped, and insiders who understand the scope of what’s being built refuse to speak publicly.

The secrecy is understandable. Despite the flurry of behind-the-scenes activity, “gambling tools and machines” are still listed as restricted goods by the UAE government. There is no formal gaming law yet, the newly established gaming commission isn’t speaking to the media, and the government has yet to utter the word “casino” in public. 

For now, the UAE’s future as a global gambling hub is a story unfolding quietly, in the shadows.

While rumors of gaming have flown around the UAE for years, the casino industry started taking shape in January 2022. 

That’s when Wynn Resorts announced a partnership with the fourth largest of the seven UAE emirates, Ras Al Khaimah (RAK), to develop a large-scale resort.

Representatives from Dubai Tourism and the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism did not respond to a request for comment. Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority declined to comment on gaming in the emirate.

In terms of tourism, Ras Al Khaimah has long been overshadowed by its larger and glitzier neighbors, Dubai and the UAE’s capital, Abu Dhabi. But that may be about to change. The emirate is betting big on a massive Wynn Resorts property planned for Al Marjan Island, a man-made archipelago off RAK’s coast.

The ambitious $3.9 billion project, slated to open in the coming years, will feature over 1,500 rooms, 24 restaurants, and what could become one of the most talked-about casinos in the region. Wynn Resorts is putting in