The appeal of the UAE as a land-based gambling market is so strong that, according to media reports, Wynn Resorts has already reserved space for a second project in the region. The expansion is expected to be carried out alongside the Al Marjan Island project and become a key part of Wynn’s large-scale development program.
According to a report by Arabian Gulf Business Insight (AGBI), Wynn shareholders are already considering expansion even before the official market opening, scheduled for 2027. The company has already prioritized the UAE in its strategy, securing $2.4 billion in construction financing to implement the Wynn Al Marjan Island project.
Now, it seems the operator’s drive for growth in this market shows no signs of slowing down, despite the fact that legislation has not yet been formalized.
Wynn was one of the first companies to enter the promising Middle Eastern market, clearly seeing immense potential in the rapidly growing global tourism industry. In its third-quarter report last year, the company specifically emphasized how successful the project could become, calling it a “must-see.”
Craig Billings, CEO of Wynn Resorts, commented: “Importantly, we are also continuing to invest in growing the business with construction on Wynn Al Marjan Island rapidly advancing.
“We are confident the resort will be a ‘must see’ tourism destination in the UAE and expect that it will support strong long-term free cash flow growth. At the same time, we continue to increase the return of capital to shareholders through our recurring dividend and opportunistic share repurchases.”
The potential prosperity of the gaming market in the Middle East was explored lauded during a panel at the recent SBC Digital – Middle East and Africa 2025 two-day webinar event. During the event, Joseph Borg, Partner at WH Partners emphasised the establishment of a gambling framework and regulator in the UAE represents a “momentous shift in the gaming industry”.
He continued by outlining that current legislation in the country could also allow for a UAE licence to be “passported” to other neighbouring countries part of the GCC.
“Something very interesting that you can find in the law is, tied to what you mentioned about the greater part of the region, so outside of the UAE, is that the law already caters for passporting of the license across GCC countries. I believe that that is in itself, although it means nothing today, it already sheds some light on what the plans are for the future.
“When we talk of GCC, we’re talking about the other countries in the region – Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman. Technically, they’re already planning that a license from the UAE could possibly be passported to other GCC countries, and I think that in itself is extremely interesting.”
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