UAE Hire Industry Veterans to Launch Gambling Within the State

Jim Murren

Speculation over whether the United Arab Emirates would legalise gambling is now even closer than ever following the gulf state setting up a federal organisation to regulate gambling with Jim Murren becoming the chairman of the regulator to allow for commercial gambling and also a national lottery.

Murren is a well known industry figure as he was chief executive officer of MGM Resorts for over twelve years from 2008 to 2020. He is joined on the board by Kevin Mullally who has over 17 years experience with Gaming Labs International and prior to that was Executive Director of the Missouri Gaming Commission for 12 years as the CEO of the new regulator which will be called the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority.

The United Arab Emirates is expected to generate some $7 billion in revenues from gambling once up and running and

And Wynn Resorts look now primed to be the first ever gambling operator to take advantage of the new legislation once it happens.

The company has already broken ground on the Ras Al Khaimah location for the resort which is costing Wynn Resorts around $3.9 billion.

Although officially government officials in the United Arab Emirates say there are not immediate plans to legalise gambling many observers now believe that by the end of this year or early 2024 the state will announce legislation allowing for gambling and lottery, how this will sit with the regions religious belief of gambling being illegal is not clear, but like other states that allow gambling it could be for foreign overseas gamblers only.