The General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GGRA) has approved licences for Yolo Group’s subsidiaries – Hub88 Holdings Ltd (hu88.io) and Live Online Gaming Services LLC (which includes Live88.io and Onetouch.io) – to supply online gaming content to the UAE market.
Yolo Group founder Tim Heath described the licences as a “statement of intent” and an important milestone in the company’s strategic development.
Live88 will become the first licensed online live casino studio in the jurisdiction.
In September, Heath explained via a post on Substack that the firm no longer sees grey market activity as a sustainable business model for the crypto gaming firm.
“You cannot be white and grey; you have to pick a side,” he explained. “Crypto is no longer niche. Regulators and financial institutions are finally recognising the transformative role it plays. Players everywhere expect speed, accessibility and inclusion as standard. What was once radical is now becoming mainstream.”
As part of its new strategy, the company merged its flagship brands – Sportsbet.io and Bitcasino.io – under a single name, Yolo.com. The new brand aims to enter regulated markets in Canada, Sweden, and Finland.
Although Yolo has not yet applied for licences for its main brands in the UAE, obtaining B2B licences for its subsidiaries lays the foundation for further growth in a market that aligns with the company’s vision to innovate and expand crypto gaming in regulated environments worldwide.
Speaking at the SBC Summit, the GCGRA’s CEO, Kevin Mullally, confirmed that technology will lead the jurisdiction’s regulatory framework.
He told attendees: “Figure out how to entertain your customers in the best way you can, and we will figure out a way to regulate it.”
“Whatever you bring us, we will design a way, we will make sure it’s safe. We will make sure that we have data to ensure that the customer experience is protected. We want the technology providers to focus on entertainment, not look at the regulations and have to design games within this box.”
Yolo Group joins Aristocrat, Novomatic, and Scientific Games, which have also received gaming supplier licences from the GGRA.
In August 2024, The Game LLC became the first licensed gaming operator in the UAE, authorised to conduct the national lottery. Meanwhile, Wynn Resorts is developing the $3.9 billion Wynn Al Marjan Island integrated resort, scheduled to open in March 2027.
“The UAE is setting the stage for what modern, regulated gaming should look like, and we are proud to be part of that journey,” concluded Heath.
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